Ace in the Hole
by Pyocola Analogue III
Summary: AU: After a wild night of drinking and gambling, Spirit Albarn drags his precious daughter into his mess in the worst way. In enters Soul Eater, a demonic bodyguard-for-hire. Will this handsome young demon be able to subdue Maka Albarn into follow his rules of protection, or will her stubbornness get the better of him? SoMa
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I do own the plot.

Chapter One

There were a lot of things Maka Albarn had come to accept as truths in the world. Her mother had left to tour Europe, and would not be coming back to get her, was one of them. Another was that she took no issue with the fact the cheerleaders she once called her teammates hated her because she was the only one that got a full-ride scholarship because of said activity. Third on her list of important things to note was that Black*Star, her best friend and confidante, was a huge pussy despite all his talk (given that in four years he'd never balled up enough to ask Tsubaki Nakatsukasa on a single date). The least important thing on her list was that her father, Spirit Albarn, was a complete and utter jackass.

She didn't mean "jackass" in the traditional sense of the word, though. Spirit had this strange way about him that drove his young daughter berserk. He was well-meaning, but he tended to lean on the flaky side. He never meant to hurt her feelings, but he also couldn't stop his eyes from following anything that was hourglass-shaped in a skirt. And sometimes his little "accidents" as she called them had ended up getting them both in trouble.

This, luckily enough, was not one of those situations.

She looked around the field, the tassel of her cape smacking into her eyes, hoping to spot red hair blazing a path to her. She was greeted with none, pulled her gown up slightly, and rummaging through the pockets of the denim shorts she wore beneath for her phone. She swiped her finger across the screen, unlocking it, to be greeted with nothing but her background picture. The one she took with Black*Star, when they'd been Florida for a cheer competition, and it makes her feel a little better.

"Hey, Maka, let's go!" Black*Star whooped, suddenly appearing out of thin air to fling an arm around her neck. She smiled and laughed lightly, a bit grateful for his enthusiasm. After graduation there was always a party on campus for the graduated Seniors. It was mostly to assure they didn't go drink, do drugs, get pregnant or commit to a combination of all three. The young man originally didn't want to go, claiming it would be absolutely dull and inadequate at satisfying the tastes of one as incredible as he, but Maka had convinced him to change his tune.

With the news that Tsubaki would be there, he was suddenly more inclined to agree.

"Hey, can you meet me by the vending machines in like five minutes? I wanted to try calling Papa real quick," She said with a tense smile. He blinked, brows knitting together in a mix of rage and concern, but nodded. She watched as he darted off, tackling his soccer teammate, Kilik Runge, and taking the other boy down by the force. She heard two deep voices howling in laughter, though, so she figured that it was all in good fun. She slipped through the throngs of people, to the empty metal chairs they all once occupied. She sat down by the closest chair, dialed her father's number, and waited. It went straight to voicemail. "Hey, Papa, it's Maka. Just calling to say thanks for coming to my graduation, and don't forget to pick Star and I up from Grad Night in the morning; we'll wait by the parking lot in front of the library. Love you." She said quickly before hanging up and sighing.

"Everything okay, Maka?" A worried, delicate voice chimed. Maka's head snapped up to see the raven haired Prom queen (and "Champion" of Black*Star's heart), Tsubaki Nakatsukasa settling into the chair in front of her. She even turned in her seat to face her, resting her arms on the top of the back of the chair and then placing her head atop them.

Maka and Tsubaki had been in the History of European Cultures honors class together and developed a mutual respect of one another. Having been paired up together on tons of class projects, they had gotten to know one another a little better. Tsubaki was sweet and demure and considerate; almost the complete opposite of Black*Star. Maka wondered if that was what drew her friend to the pretty young woman like a moth to a flame, but she figured it was more the girl's large perky breasts and firm shapely ass.

Black*Star may be her only friend, but he was still a guy, after all.

She shook off the bitterness that thought provoked and smiled weakly. "Oh, just dealing with my Papa. He uh... Must have forgotten about graduation being tonight," She said, letting out a nervous laugh when Tsubaki sat up.

"Oh, Maka, I'm so sorry," She said, azure eyes practically made of sympathy. Maka knew it shouldn't, but for some reason it bothered her. She didn't need to be pitied by one of her many pretty peers; nor did she want to be. So, she took this as an opportunity to handle things the Maka Albarn way.

"It's not a big deal. He's probably working late and we really need the money," She said, standing up. Tsubaki followed suit and she smiled a bit wider. "Anyway, let's move on to a lighter topic. Mind if I ask you a favor, Tsubaki?"

"Oh, sure thing. What is it?" She asked happily.

"Would you mind talking with my friend Black*Star for a little bit tonight?"

"He's the… Loud one, correct?"

"Yeah, he can be a little overly-enthusiastic but I swear he's harmless. On top of that, he's kinda had this big crush on you since Freshmen assembly," She explained with a nervous chuckle.

The other smiled, eyes alight with interest. "Are you serious? That's really quite strange; someone like him seems like he wound be fearless," She said, but there was no malice or mean-spirited humor to it. That made Maka feel better about deciding to shove her nose into the whole thing. Black*Star was her only friend and she didn't want some vicious harpy tearing his heart out. "But that's also endearing, really. It proves he's not quite the God-like entity he always claims to be."

"So… You'll do it?" She asked meekly.

"But of course. I was actually wondering who I'd get to hang out with tonight; all my friends are going to another party," She explained as she rose from her seat. While Maka wasn't too keen on the idea of playing third wheel, she had to help Black*Star. She knew (or, rather, hoped) that with a little outside help, if someone else put the ball in his court, he'd be able to woo Tsubaki Nakatsukasa.

He did claim to be a man of many talents; he said one of his skills was being a "Ninja of Love".

"Great. He's waiting by the vending machines. We were just going to go put out things in our lockers so they'd be safe over night and then head to the gym," She said merrily, rising as well. The school had told the graduates that planned to attend Grad Night that they could use their lockers for their belongings. The next morning, however, they had to take the locks to the front office and sign-off on a sheet saying they had returned them.

She shot one last glance at her cell phone before hiking up her gown and shoving it back into her pocket.

…

He couldn't feel his head, which was most certainly a bad thing. He hadn't gotten himself this drunk in quite some time. He did, however, feel something warm and squishy and _womanly_ pressed up against him; that made things seem a little better. He pushed himself up with a small groan, one hand ruffling with through his mussed up maroon locks, and looked around.

He was in one of the private rooms at Chupa Cabra, one of the most infamous demon-run casinos in Death City. Almost twenty years ago some weird cult that had been developing in the underground had tried to summon Cthulhu but instead they succeeded in tearing a gap between the human realm and the next. The next realm happened to be the world of demons, and that left them to make Earth their new home. It had taken some time, but a balance was starting to be found (though there were still some issues with demons and the law). He was snapped from his thoughts when he realized that there was a second woman in the room, standing beside the bed with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

She was familiar but he couldn't drag up a name to go with the face; a bad tendency of his.

"Good Morning, Spirit Albarn," She said in this soft yet sultry tone. He felt goose bumps crawl up his spine. She was a beauty, that much was obvious. She had long black hair that was tied up in a high bun, long bangs forming a frame around her exquisite and regal-looking face. Her eyes, an inky tint that matched her hair to a T, were as half-mast but there was not lust or malice in her eyes. He blinked a few times, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his hands in hopes that would help clear his head. "Ah, you don't remember anything, do you? Well, you did enjoy yourself quite a lot of our special Unicorn Blood elixir last night. Lose of memories tends to be a common side effect when that spirit is injected by you humans. Take your time to get freshened up, dressed, and then head back upstairs. One of the bouncers will bring you to my table and we can discuss the transfer of the goods you promised us last night further." Her tone was calm and clipped, revealing nothing yet alerting him to the seriousness of his predicament.

Unicorn Blood elixir was one of the most expensive of alcoholic beverages that demons could mix, simply because getting their hands on a real unicorn to make said beverage was no easy task.

He rose out of bed slowly, being careful not to disturb the snoozing woman on the other side. He smacked his cheeks lightly to help wake himself up, rose to his feet, and shuddered at the cold. "Clothes… Clothes… Gotta get my clothes," He whined, looking around the room frantically. He took a step and let out a hiss, pain jolting up along his spine. He rubbed at the base and felt his face go pale, glancing around the room again.

There were tons of things scattered along the floor, ranging from clothes to various toys one would need for various styles of sex.

"Oh, dear God," He whimpered softly, tensing up as he stiffly marched toward his boxers. He yanked them on and swore he was never going to drink Unicorn Blood elixir again; not if it tricked into something as embarrassing as **pegging**. "Oh, Spirit, what have you done now? What have you done now?" He scolded himself as he neck pulled on his black slacks. He then paused, having to toss about a few other items to locate his white button up work blouse. "Hmm… There must have been a reason for this. And if I was drink Unicorn Blood it must have been something good."As he worked the buttons with fumbling fingers, his mind strained through his short memories of the night.

It made his head hurt but he did get an answer to that question.

"Oh! That's right, I got a promotion!" He thought happily, smiling despite himself at the joys of having some extra money to spare. Spirit already worked a pretty good job; his house and car were both paid off and he had managed to get the money together so that he could take his beautiful little girl to pick out what he knew she'd want as a graduation gift. He suddenly sucked in a breath and scrambled from his jacket, pulling out his cell phone. "Oh, no! Maka's graduation was last night!" He yelped, feeling tears pool in his eyes.

Great, now he was hung over and his daughter was going to hate him **even more**!

"Well, it's not all bad just yet," He said softly, checking the time. Maka wouldn't be let out from Grad Night for another twenty minutes, and he school was about a fifteen minute drive from here. As long as he made his meeting with that strange yet intoxicating woman fast he could get there on time, or only a little late. And Maka was a practical girl; he would just lie and say that he stayed late and slept at the office, that way everything could be forgiven. He didn't like lying to her but he also didn't want her to go back to slamming doors and ignoring him. These last few weeks she's been so happy, things between them starting to slowly return to normal, and this would just ruin it.

Spirit left the room, a Papa on a mission.

One of the bouncers was indeed close by, as if waiting for him. When he nodded his head, the Cyclops tilted his head, indicating he follow him. It wasn't a long walk to the large booth the woman had settled into, a glass of wine in one hand and cigarette between two fingers on the other. She smiled lightly at him. "Ah, there you are, Mr. Albarn. Please, settle in, would you?" She asked, setting down her glass and reaching over one of her associates to pat some empty space at the booth.

The one she had leaned over glanced up at him and snarled lowly, curling his lip up like an angry dog to reveal a mouthful of jagged sharp teeth. Spirit swallowed hard to resist the urge to flinch. With his tawny hair styled into spikes, piercing all over his ears and nose, and critical brown eyes he was clearly the rough-and-tumble member of the triad. The other male with her was a silent, younger looking man. He wore attire similar to a priest, his blonde hair cut in a soldier-like shortness. His blue eyes were studying the older male silently, inquisitive but silent, and it was then he noticed the ear buds. _'Huh… Seems a little rude,'_ He thought before holding up his hand. He put on a small smile at the woman. "I'm afraid I shouldn't. You see, my daughter is waiting for me to pick she and one of her friends up and I can't take too long. My little Maka does not take tardiness well."

"Ah, excellent! And were you going to bring her here right after?" She asked happily, taking a small huff from her cigarette. She leaned over, pressing her lips to the harsher male's and pulled away after a second. When she did he blew out a puff of smoke, eyes narrowed still on Spirit.

"I-I'm sorry but my little Maka doesn't belong in this scene," He said, quickly catching himself from spazzing out. How dare this woman suggest he bring his beautiful, wonderful, perfect little angel to a place like this? He may be the best father out there but even he had more sense than that!

"Oh, my, I almost forgot about you circumstances. You had Unicorn Blood; you don't remember anything. Justin, dear, if you would," She said, glancing at the younger male with a smile. He nodded, reached into the large coat he wore, and pulled out a folder. The woman took it, folded it open, and skimmed through the papers inside. Justin, as the male was addressed, then handed her a pen, and she took it. "Last night, while you were at the betting tables, you accepted the offer to make the game more interesting."

"Interesting how?" He asked, throat suddenly dry and palms sweaty. He started to flex his fingers, his panic rising. The man with the piercings finally stopped glaring at him; no, now he was smirking with this sick sort of delight floating in his eyes.

"You really fucked yourself up, didn't you, old man? Don't remember a thing you did, huh?" He sneered. Spirit glared but turned his attention back to the woman, whom had shifted the papers so they were facing him. She lightly pointed to the last line of the page, and then his signature (albeit rather sloppy from him being sloshed) right underneath.

His heart stopped; he had placed Maka's virginity on the table and signed papers stating that, upon losing, he would have 24 hours to present her to the owner of Chupa Cabra so that payment could be received.

"Now, as you can see, we have everything in writing. You are legally bound by this contract, since the rules of the club are permitted to be different because it is run under demonic law," She said calmly. He was shaking like a leaf in the wind, eyes wide with horror. She, however, was used to this sort of thing. So many humans came in here, thinking they could get away with whatever they wanted because they were in a demon's den.

They seemed to forget that they may be demons, but they still had their own set of standards and laws to uphold to.

"Now, you have up to 24-hours to bring your daughter to us. She may come with you willingly or not; it matters very little, as we are always prepared for the fighters. You made it quite clear last night that your little… Mana, was it?"

"Maka," He croaked, his voice cracking on the second syllable. His eyes strayed higher to Maka's school photo, the one he carried around in his wallet, kept in the right corner of the folder with a paper clip. He felt like he was going to be sick, his mind whirling through with what he was hearing.

"Ah, yes, Maka. You let us know last night that she's a spitfire, but luckily enough our Lord likes them better that way. It's much more fun for him when they are young and spunk, can play around with them some first, you see," She said casually, waving her hand in an exaggerated circle.

The unnamed male snorted lightly. "He's a fucking idiot; women are better when they shut the fuck up and do what needs to be done, like you, Arachne," He stated flatly, the woman dipping her head as a sign she accepted the "compliment". He then smirked at Spirit, whose eyes were still skimming over the contract again and again. "Then again, the Boss has a prejudice against girls with experience. Personally, I think he's just a fucking loli-con; and damn, did he score big with your little brat."

Spirit suddenly snapped, flinging himself at the other male and decking him in the jaw. "You bastard! You'll all stay away from my daughter!" He yells angrily, squawking when the other drives his elbow into his nose.

"I'll only stay away once the boss gets what he wants, you fucking shit-stain!" He laughed, and then he kicked Spirit off of him and to the ground. He stood up and looked down at the other, his smirk widening at the blood gushing down the red-head's nose and the pathetic wheezing noise he makes. "Yo, Cliff, toss this fucker out and don't let him in until he's got his pretty little kid by his side!" He called suddenly.

The Cyclops from before, apparently named Cliff, walked over. He grabbed Spirit and tossed him over his shoulder, heading toward the exit with him. Despite the pain from his hang over, his broken nose and his stomach, he was struggling and cursing up a storm. Arachne merely smiled and waved, calling a merry little, "See you later on, Mr. Albarn!"

A pair of beady yellow eyes watched the whole spectacle, a slow grin coming to their face. He pulled out a small black cell phone and hit the first number on his speed dial. "Hello, Boss. Sorry to wake you, but I think I just found our next customer. I'll go scout him out and call you with the details," He said quickly. He dropped a ten on the bar top and carefully climbed down from his seat. "Oh, and don't go back to sleep. Get ready for the meeting you'll be having with this sad sack." He cut in before his boss could hang up. He chuckled at the unintelligible grumble he was answered with. "Trust me; he'll accept our services. He's one sad-looking motherfucker." He then hung up and slipped outside smoothly, keeping his head and eyes down.

If that brute Giriko saw him, he'd stop him for sure. Everybody with power knew he was the run-man for his boss, after all.

He slipped past the bouncer at the front door and caught sight of the poor sap crawling from the alley next to the club. _'Ah, they treated you quite kindly, didn't they?'_ He thought with a chuckle, straightening out his pin-striped jacket. He then walked over, pulling out a card and holding it out toward the man. "Good day, sir. My name is Tiny Imp, but you may call me Timp for short."

"What do you want?" The man asked suspiciously, looking between the card and Timp.

"I, sir, am here to offer you some help. I saw that whole scene with Arachne and her boys," He said, a wide knowing grin spreading across his face. The other's powder blue eyes narrowed and watered, tears threatening to spill over. "Quite rude of them, indeed. However, that is how their Lord plays; hard and cheap. I'm offering you the chance to even the odds a little, as it were."

"And what would that entail? I've already been fucked over once this morning; I can't handle it happening again," Timp gave the man credit; he was certainly thinking now. He was right to be wary of him, given that he was just as much a demon as the ones he was now in debt with.

"Well, my boss is a demonic bodyguard for hire," He explained, "to humans like yourself. It's a bit expensive, but we would take your daughter into our custody and keep her safe. Meanwhile, we would see if we can't find a loophole to this tricky little contract and then get the two of you completely in the clear."

The other looked intrigued but still unsure. "And how much would this cost?"

"Ah, you're a smart man! I admire that!" He laughed lightly, patting the other's shoulder with one bony, red hand. He felt the other tense up but decided against commenting. "It will cost an even five grand for six months. This would cover cost of living, utilities and groceries for your child, as well as the services we offer. A pretty good deal, considering how very expensive the legal side of this can be if you went to someone with less humanity in their heart."

"I only have about half of that," Spirit wheezed out anxiously, paling again. Timp tapped his chin in thought.

"I am sure we can work something out. We could always set up a payment plan of sorts, and have your daughter so some side jobs for us. How good is she with the whole domestic scene, cooking and cleaning and the like?"

"She's wonderful. My Maka is smart and strong and beautiful," He said, starting to tear up a bit. Timp nodded again and held out his hand.

"Might you have a picture I could show my boss? He has the final say in whom we accept as a client and all," He said casually. Spirit rummaged through his wallet and found one of his many snapshots of her daughter, handing it over. It was of Maka in her cheer uniform, taken shortly after a competition. Timp glanced at it and smiled lightly. _'Just the boss' type.'_ He mused before nodding. "You two truly do seem like the type of humans we work for so I doubt that he'll turn you away."

"What do you mean by type?"

"Well, you know how normal businesses will only agree to hiring certain people? We are the same way. After all, we need to be sure those we work with are trustworthy and will give us our pay," He kept his tone polite but not overly friendly. He didn't want the other to think him unprofessional. "Now then, how about we schedule a time and place to meet up?"

"If I give you my address can you and your boss head there around noon?" Spirit asks worriedly. He didn't really like the idea of having demons in his home, but he felt more comfortable at the thought of being there. At least then he could scream for help if they tried to double-cross him.

"That will work just fine. Mr. Eater and I will be there at the designated time then," Timp said with a smile. He pulled out a small notebook with a pen and handed over. Upon receiving the information, the small demon returned it and headed off with a small salute. "We'll see you then, sir."

...

Sometimes Timp really disliked his job.

"I thought I told you not to go to sleep," He sighed heavily, staring at the large blanket-covered lump on the futon. He and his boss lived in a small two story building they had purchased. The first floor was their base of operations while the second floor was where the rooms were. Timp set the paper bag with breakfast inside down on the small coffee table and turned back to the task at hand. "Well, I should have expected as much. You've never been the easiest to work with, Mr. Evans."

"That's Eater, Imp, and you know it," The deep, gravelly voice beneath the covers snarled out. Timp smirked to himself. Luckily enough he had learned many ways to control this man he worked with.

He was much like his mother, and Timp had always been good at handling that she-demon.

"Yes, yes, I know. Anyway, we have a new client," He said with a small clap of his hands, turning toward the bag again. He opened it and pulled out a hash brown and a sausage egg McMuffin. "I'll explain more while we eat."

The covers fell away slightly, twin ruby orbs shining with intrigue on him. "What, no coffee?"

"You should be grateful that I brought you this much, cur," The older demon warned with a snort. The red-eyed male groaned lowly before finally shoving the blanket back, letting it pool around him instead. "If you had stayed awake – like I told you to almost an hour ago – than you could have brewed up some coffee of your own. And with how useless that damn machine we have is, it would just be finishing up in time for our meal. However, given time constraints and all, we really cannot dill-dally."

"And what makes you think that I'll agree to taking on this new case? I mean, this is my first day back from that last one," He said while snatching away the items in the other's hands. Timp made a face but then tugged the picture from his jacket pocket. He held it up so that his boss could see while he took a bite out of his hash brown. The other did a double-take before swallowing loudly and smirking. "A bubbly blonde cheerleader? Oh, Timp, you know me so well."

"But of course, Boss," He chuckled, pulling out his own items and looking toward the clock on the nearby wall. Well, they still had a little over an hour before they were going to have to leave. They lived on the opposite side of the city from the address he'd been given by Mr. Albarn (which he only knew because he'd heard Arachne say it), having already put the information into the navigator on his cell phone. "While we're out we'll need to get groceries… And we could probably splurge on a new coffee maker, now that I think about it." He thought aloud, taking a bit of his hash brown and glancing at the kitchen.

"We should get a new microwave first. The one we have is just disgusting," The other said evenly. Timp jerked to attention and glanced at him in slight annoyance.

"There is nothing wrong with the microwave; it just needs to be cleaned. You know, that thing normal people do when things get dirty and start to have an odd odor to them?" Timp barked out with a roll of his eyes. He knew he wouldn't get an answer so he took the chance to finish off his hash brown before starting to remove the wrapper of his sandwich. "It's your own damn fault; I told you that if you were going to reheat that beef stew you should have put a paper towel or something over the top of the bowl so it wouldn't explode everywhere. Anyway, back to discussing the case. The man cannot pay us the full amount but his daughter will be able to get this place back to working order."

"What? Timp, we need money more than a cleaning crew! This place is fine to work out of!" He growled lowly, sharp teeth glinting. Timp glanced around at the various dirty clothes, bags of trash and other useless things scattered about the floor of the front room before looking pointedly at the younger demon. "…Okay, so maybe it needs a little work."

"I understand that you do not like having to deal with the aftermath of a case, but you really shouldn't have let that last girl throw those parties here. Especially if you weren't going to make her and her little friends actually clean up afterwards, Soul," He said with all the composure he held. It was these little hiccups that cropped up that made things difficult, really. While being powerful and a great fight, Soul Eater was not a responsible or highly intelligent sort. That was one reason Timp was working with him; they formed a balance that kept their little business up and running in this Hellish town.

Timp handled the money and the heavy-thinking tasks; Soul handled the brute force and charming their client into remaining compliant.

"Geez, you sound like my old man," Soul spat out, tearing open the bright yellow wax paper around his sandwich and gobbling it up in two huge, loud gulps. He then stretched and rose from the couch, making sure his back popped. "Last time I checked I was old enough to go play outside without a babysitter."

"Well if you want to act like a child I will treat you as such," Timp said blandly, brow wrinkling as he took a bit of his own sandwich. It had gotten a little cold for his tastes, but it would have to do until they could get something edible in the house. "While you get ready to go I'll see about getting this all a little more… Prepared for our newest guest. It wouldn't be fair to expect her to handle all of this alone."

"Whatever you say," His employer shrugged, waving a hand back at him carelessly before he disappeared into the bathroom. Timp waited until he heard the sound of running water to get started, not particularly keen on cleaning up the mess either.

Sometimes he wondered if the pay was really worth dealing with his boss.

…

They were nearly a half hour late to the Albarn residence.

"If you were going to take so long doing your hair, why did you decide to take such a long shower?" Timp hissed softly as they headed up the stairs of the apartment building. It had taken him some time, but he had managed to find some clean clothes that would (hopefully) leave a good impression on Spirit Albarn. He doubted they would lose the job but he had always been a careful little imp.

While the black leather jacket did not scream dignified or anything (like the suit Timp always wore) it would hopefully show that he was of a tougher sort. Under that was a regular orange cotton T-shirt and black jeans. It was casual, but it was nicer than his other options and it was clean. "You think this hair gets this way on it's own? This takes time and precision, my friend," Soul said with a smug smirk. Timp rolled his eyes as they reached the door, knocking and starting at the dark green wood instead of his associate.

"Is that why you added on the headband that makes you look like a metro sexual daffodil?" He inquired indifferently. He let out a little displeased squawk when he was suddenly hoisted up into the air by one of his tiny horns, to be greeted with Soul's scowling face.

"My headband is cool. And if you had hair you know you'd be asking to borrow it," He ground out angrily. Before the argument could be carried out farther than that the door was opened. Soul dropped Timp, ignoring the hissed swears the other released when gravity brought him back to the ground, and offered his hand, putting on his best ass-kissing smile. "Hello, sir. I'm Soul Eater, the demonic bodyguard here to help you."

The other male looked unnerved, to say the least. His eyes were red rimmed, implying he'd been crying over the whole thing, and his features seemed paler than usual. His nose was bruised, a butterfly bandage resting on it as well, and there was still a bit of dried blood just beneath his nostrils. He still smelt of boozes and cheap perfume and sex, leaving Soul to only assume he was still wearing the clothes he'd attended the club in. The other hesitated a beat before opening the door wider and stepping aside. "Spirit Albarn. Come in and let us get down to business," He said in a voice drenched in sorrow and anxiety.

Soul forced down the bitterness he felt at the other refusing to shake his hand and stepped inside, his trusty red-skinned henchman not too far behind.

The apartment was small but nice and cozy. The furniture was not particularly new but was not complete trashed or worn-out; clearly well-loved but also well-cared for. There were only three doors down the hall, meaning it was most likely a two bedroom with an extra room as the bathroom. The kitchen was to their left and Soul could see a tea kettle on the stove-top. "Sorry for being late, Mr. Albarn. There was a terrible bout of traffic, and our offices are quite a ways out there," Timp explained as Soul went to the kitchen table.

Without so much as an invite, he pulled out a chair and settled in. He tilted it back, so it balanced on its back two legs, and then crossed his own two legs atop the table. He then crossed his hands behind his head and breathed in deeply, feeling more at ease now that he was settled. "Yes, well, what do we still have to discuss?" Spirit asked calmly. He disappeared into the kitchen while Timp took a place at the table as well, sitting next to Soul. He shot him a look while their host got out mugs for their drinks. "I need to hit the bank to withdraw the money, but I can give you half of the whole price upfront."

"That would be wonderful. Now, for the rest, I was thinking that monthly payments would be the best option. Would five hundred a month be doable for you?" Timp asked. Soul glanced around for a moment as he tuned in and out of what the two were saying. He was looking at the many, many pictures that decorated the walls.

"I could most certainly do that," Spirit agreed, shoulders sagging in relief. At least the financial portion of it could be handled well enough. "Now, you mentioned my Maka would have to go into your custody earlier. Is there any way that we can go around that? I'd prefer that she stay here, in our home." Curiosity getting the better of him, the snowy haired demon stepped from the table and walked toward the living room area, looking at the various pictures resting on the mantle.

Amber eyes followed his movements for a moment but then, deeming them harmless, returned to his current customer. "Well, we prefer keeping the one in need of our protection with us in our office. It is a well hidden little building and is equipped with some of the most modern security technology on the market. On top of that, it would be safer that your daughter not be in an obvious, familiar location. Snatching someone isn't too hard when dealing with the likes of Arachne Gorgon and her two lackeys," He said smoothly, holding up his hands in a defensive way. He could see the spark of an argument brewing in Spirit's eyes, just sitting on the tip of his tongue and poised to strike. "Look, I know that you do not know us and do not trust us, but one of the many things we guarantee is that we will not force your child to do anything she does not want to. Not all demons are horny beasts, after all."

"And will there be a contract to sign? Something that will force you to be true to your word?" Soul rolled his eyes at the other before picking up one of the pictures. It was clearly taken a few years ago, when the young woman was younger, but it featured she and both her parents. She clearly took all her looks from her mother; the ashy blonde hair and bright green eyes and cream colored complexion. This was the only happy family photo anywhere in the room; he should have figured as much.

Rarely ever were their clients a happily married couple that had bartered their lives away.

"But of course. We will go down together, so that you will know where the office is, and we will fill out everything there. And, of course, make the first exchanging of money," Timp said with a nod of his head.

It was at this moment that Soul decided to chime in. "Where is the girl, by chance? She still in high school or what?"

"Oh, no, she graduated top of her class last night," Spirit stated with a small smile. Then he paled and let out a loud, squeaky shriek that caused both demons to flinch. The duo watched as he darted to his feet, rushing to a nearby hook where his car keys hung. "Oh, no, Maka! Papa needs to pick up his precious Maka!"

Just as he went to grab the door handle, however, it was thrown open. He stepped back as a red-faced Maka walked in, jade orbs alive with a blaze that reminded Timp of the cold fires of Hell. "Hello, Papa," She said in a sickeningly sweet tone, the corner of her lips twitching into a sadistic little grin.

Spirit was on his knees, crawling toward his baby girl and sniffling. "M-Maka, please don't be mad at Papa. Papa was ju-" And that was when a hardback cover edition of the dictionary was brought down on his head. Maka's eyes had narrowed and her smile had done a complete 180 to a bitter scowl.

"Don't you 'Papa just' me! Black*Star and I waited for nearly two hours for you to come and get us! You're just lucky Black*Star had the money to get us a cab!" She screamed angrily. A young man with blue hair slipped past, waving briefly at Spirit.

"Since this God just got stuck bailing Bookworm here out of trouble again I am confiscating some food in exchange," He announced with a small hum.

"That's fine, Black*Star. There's a box of Hot Pockets in the freezer. I got them just for you," Maka said, still growling at her father.

"Are they pepperoni pizza?"

"That's the only one you like, so yes,"

"Praise the great me, suddenly that twenty bucks was all worth it," And with that little declaration, the strange young man made a mad dash toward the kitchen.

"So, let me guess," Maka said with a small sigh, dropping the intense ferocity for a moment. She looked up at Soul, her eye twitching in annoyance, and he merely quirked an eyebrow in curiosity. "My buffoon of a Papa either slept with your girlfriend, or cheated you in poker or slept with your girlfriend **and** cheated you in poker. Look, there's no need for us to have to make this particularly messy. If you want to beat him up, take him on the patio because blood is a bitch to wash out. Or, if you just want the money, I'll go to the bank and get you the money."

_'So this sort of thing is typical of our new client? Just peachy,'_ Soul thought with a chuckle.

"And if you're going to beat him up than I get to watch!" Black*Star called, walking over with a Hot Pocket in his hand.

The only female turned to look at her friend with a bemused expression, brows knitted together in deep thought. "Black*Star, did you even microwave that thing?"

"No. I've got one in the microwave right now but I was really hungry. And when a man as incredible as me needs to eat, he needs to eat," He said with a casual shrug. He then retreated farther into the kitchen again to watch as his other tasty treat finished heating up.

Maka stared after him for a moment before groaning and massaging her temples. "I'm starting to think that you and Black*Star are just trying to make me die of a stress-induced heart attack," She ground out while releasing a breath. She decided to focus on one crisis at a time. First her father and the creepy visitors, then Black*Star of the Iron Gut (and Little Brain). "So, which reason has brought you here?" She asked, dropping her hands to look at Soul again.

"Actually, we're here for you," Timp said, clearing his throat lightly. She turned her attention to him, one foot shifting so that the heel of her boots rested on her father's knee. She wasn't going to let him get away from her, since she just had a feeling she was about to be thoroughly pissed.

"And what do you mean by that?" She asked, applying just a little more pressure to her foot on his knee.

"Well, you see, your father made a rather… Scandalous business exchange last night. That's a good way to explain it, yes?" Timp asked, glancing at Soul.

"It's the best I can think of. Anyway, your father made a deal while he was out of his mind from Unicorn Blood or some other expensive shit that will fuck you humans up something hilarious," He tacked on, smirking at the thought. The young demon had seen many a . More pressure was added at this.

"Oh? Really, now?"

"M-Maka, baby, y-y-you're kinda hurting Papa a little bit,"

"He was at the gambling tables and agreed to raise the stakes a little. And those stakes involved… Well, you, young lady,"

"Or, rather, who gets to take you V-Card,"

"**Excuse me**?"

"Ah, Soul, must you say things like that? I understand that you want to remain 'hip' and 'cool' but that was just tasteless. This is a very delicate situation and you should treat it as such,"

"… Who the Hell says 'hip' anymore, Gramps?"

"O-Ow! Maka, you're really hurting Pap-**AH! OhdearGodIthinkIheardthebone crack**!"

"You… You… You complete uncaring, selfish **BASTARD**!" With that battle cry, Maka pulled her book back out of nowhere and set to beating her father savagely with it. Soul stepped around them carefully to come stand beside where his partner was still seated, turned in his chair to watch as well. Black*Star peered over the kitchen bar, a Hot Pocket in each hand, chewing slowly with a contented little grin on his face.

"Are you sure that he needs our services? She seems pretty capable of handling herself," Soul remarked with a small smirk.

End

Notes:

Yes, the little imp from Soul's head is a character called Timp in this. And the two have hilarious interactions with one another. Why? Because reasons. :3

This chapter ended up being a lot longer than I had thought it would be, but then again I was hoping to do bigger chapters from this story. I'm off to a good start so far! So be honest guys; good, bad or in between?

Next Chapter:

"You seem to be confusing demons with vampires," Soul said with a laugh. He had returned to his previous position, though this time he had one eye open to watch Maka lazily. "I'll give you credit, though, since vampires are a type of demon. There are plenty of demons that can attack during the day and, if Giriko really is working for this guy, you are certainly not safe one your own. That bastard is especially ruthless when it comes to getting his prey, willing to tear up anything in his path, and I can vouch for that personally. So I suggest that you get used to be in the company of this mug right here, because you'll be seeing a lot more of it than I think you'd like." He smirked, indicating himself with a tip of his head.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I do own the plot.

Chapter Two

Three duffel bags and one very, very heavy box overloaded with books made up the things Maka Albarn decided she could not go without. Mostly clothes in the bags, but a few personal knick-knacks made their way in as well. Neither demon found this particularly interesting but Spirit had been frantic over it. He had tried to shove a few other things at her only to have her throw them back in his face and claims of wanting nothing to do with them (probably gifts from **him**, hence the volatile response). "So," Soul said as he tossed the last bag into the trunk of Timp's car, "are you riding with him or me?" He nodded his head toward his precious onyx baby.

She walked toward his precious motorcycle, reaching out and stroking the leather of the seat thoughtfully. "Ducati Monster 696, right? Quite the beauty," She whistled, glancing at him sideways and then back at his bike. Soul's eyes widened slightly while Black*Star rolled his eyes, snorting from his spot a few feet away.

"Of course you'd recognize a bike with one glance. Weirdest girl in the world; loves books, puzzles and motorcycles," He said before yawning loudly.

"What can I say? I'm complicated," Maka laughed before walking over to her friend. She gave him a weak smile. "You should probably go up to your apartment and get some sleep." He perked up and nodded, suddenly seeming less sleepy and more thoughtful. He stole a glance at Soul, whom merely chuckled at the distrust in the other's eyes. "Can you keep an eye on Papa for me?" The blue haired male jolted up at this and scowled.

"Personally I'd be more concerned about you. You're the one rooming with two demons none of us even know," He said with an aggravated snarl.

She laughed again, but there was a bitter sort of humor to it. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much. Just… Make sure Papa doesn't screw around anymore until this whole thing gets settled, okay?"

"That's like trying to punch a tornado, you know," He whined loudly, hands lacing behind his head and his eyes slipping shut.

"Aren't you supposed to be the man who will surpass God? This should be a piece of cake for you," She said with a raised eyebrow and small, teasing smile.

"I never said I couldn't do it," He said, peeking one eye open at her. She could tell that he was summing her up, trying to tell if she was ready for what he was going to say. "There's just one thing that's bothering me about the whole thing. You're talking like I'll never see you again or something."

"I just want to make sure that everything is taken care of while I'm away. I don't know how long I'll be gone for," She said with a small shrug, trying to play it all off. It was hard, though, to act like this was nothing out of the ordinary.

Black*Star had to admire that she was trying to act relatively unfazed. "Well, okay, but I will use force if necessary," He shrugged before turning to head back upstairs to his own apartment.

"I use force when it isn't necessary so knock yourself out. I'll text you later or something," She said before turning back to Soul. While they had been chatting he'd gotten settled on the bike, pulling out the spare helmet for her. "How long of a drive will this be?"

"Not too long. You can call your little boyfriend once we get you settled in, so don't worry," He chuckled lightly, tossing the spare to her. She caught it and glared at him.

"Black*Star isn't my boyfriend; he's like the brother I was always grateful I never had," Maka huffed before yanking on the helmet and ending their conversations. She then slipped on behind him, making sure to keep a tight grip around him as he revved the bike to life. Taking his cue, Timp pulled out and started toward the street with his partner close behind.

'_Doesn't have much in the T department; and she's supposed to be a cheerleader too. She must have been one of those really shitty ones. Not good at the routine and not worth much in way of eye candy either,'_ Soul thought glumly. Normally these girls were all about being popular and shopping and "like, totally" having a good time. From what he had witnessed so far, this girl was a bookish, smart like ass-kicker. _'As far as stereotypes go, I'm seriously disappointed. She's not really sticking to my critia for our clients.'_

Though he would never really admit it, Soul was partial to only taking female clients into the house. They also, usually, had to be shapely little things that were old enough to consent. After all, not all people they helped were in this exact situation. Usually it was that money was owed, the person was unable to pay, so the cronies owed the money were going to go after their loved ones to make it clear they wanted their money. Threats of violence were what the young demon was used to dealing with; this was a first in the short history of their business.

Even if this girl did end up being a bit more up to standards, she was still off limits.

'_This must be Timp's way of telling me something,'_ He realized, a low snarl rumbling deep in his throat. He felt Maka shift, pulling away from him slightly, but wasn't too concerned with that. _'I guess I'll just have to remind that bastard of whose top dog around here. He seemed to love it last time I hired him that male stripper…'_

The rest of the drive Soul was absorbed in his own thoughts of revenge.

Timp and Spirit beat them there by about five minutes and were chatting up front by the time they caught up. "As I said, sir, the building may not look like it is good shape but the inside is much better," Timp was saying as Maka and Soul walked over.

"It looks like shit," The young blonde suddenly said, staring at the place she would be calling "home" for the next chunk of time in disbelief. The windows looked as if they had been left without much love in a long while, there was graffiti on the walls, and there was something suspicious about the boy in the black hoodie leaning against it. She then noticed a long, green lizard-like tail swish beside him and tensed up a bit. Despite living in Death City for as long as she could remember, she'd never really had any interactions with demons. After all, demons and humans went to separate schools because they each needed specific things that tended to conflict with one another. "Please tell me this is just something that happened recently, because if not I've got no faith that I'll last long in your care."

Soul glared at her. "What kind of shit is that to say to the guys that are going to keep your ass from becoming some assholes slam piece?"

"The kind of thing to say to someone whom clearly has no respect for themselves or their surrounding," She barked back with a disgruntled little tut. She then sighed and shook her head, looking at the small second floor patio, one of the iron guard rails on it hanging off haphazardly over the left side, near the small alleyway between the buildings. "This is just sad; really, really sad. Considering how sharply dressed your horned little buddy is, I figured it'd but a little more put-together."

"At least someone around here can appreciate how hard I try to remain professional," Timp snorted, puffing out his chest and dusting off his jacket. Burgundy orbs rolled before he returned to glaring at his new, rather outspoken, charge.

"Look, if you have a problem with the way the outside looks then how about you clean it up yourself? You may as well do something for us, since me and Timp here are going to be taking all the heat your old man shoved on to you," He leaned in close, so that they were face to face. She looked unnerved by his closeness, her poker face failing for just a moment, and he couldn't help but smirk. "It'd do a mouthy broad like you some good to do something **domestic**."

She glared at him, a fire that he had mixed feelings about coming alive, then scoffed lightly. "Not only are you poorly educated, you have poor personal hygiene; your breath stinks," Her voice was collected and even, her lips twitching in a slight smirk at him. About seeing his enraged look she decided to press forward. "I shouldn't expect much better from you, though; what kind of self-respecting male anything wears a headb-!"

"Oh, Hell no! That does it! You two are on your own!" Soul roared before spinning to glare at Timp. He pointed at Maka accusingly, ignoring the smug triumph that was practically oozing from her. "This girl is not our problem! If she isn't going to be respectful than let whoever wants her have at her!"

Spirit was sputtering now, holding up his hands and looking between the young demon and his daughter frantically. "P-Please, you have to protect my precious Maka! Sweetie, darling, please say you're sorry! Papa knows you didn't mean all those things you said!" He squeaked, stumbling toward his child. Before he could place a hand on her, however, she decided to shut him up with a book the skull.

"Violent little brat can handle herself from what I can see. I'm not taking a job where I'm not actually needed," Soul said blandly before turning on his heels and heading toward the front door. If he was lucky he could go upstairs, pull the curtains over the patio and get a few more blissful hours of sleep.

"No! I don't want those horrible monsters coming after my baby girl!"

"Too bad, old man. Go tell your sob story to some other demonic bodyguard!"

"Giriko is one of the head bosses' lackies," Timp chimed in nonchalantly. Soul suddenly tensed up, hand on the doorknob. The little red demon chuckled and pulled out his pocket watch from the pocket on the front of his jacket. He popped it open and made a small noise. "I had almost forgotten about that until just now, actually. After all, I remembered that you had a bit of history with him and figured that might interest you."

Slowly the other turned, hand still on the doorknob. "Alright. If only for the sake of getting to kick that smug bastard's ass, we'll still help you. But I swear, Tiny Tits, if you keep up this whole snarky attitude, I'll throw you to the wolves," He warned darkly. Maka glared, fists clenching at her sides at the nickname he'd decided to stick her with. "A man can only take getting barked at by a chick like you before he breaks."

"Understood. And just know that if you ever call me Tiny Tits again you'll be sent right back to the Hellish place your people came from," She said with a casual shrug. If he wasn't still annoyed with her Soul might have found her persistence somewhat hilarious. Given that he was running on far too little sleep and she was grating on his nerves in the worst ways, however, he could only grunt and open the door.

Cerulean orbs shifted from their more interesting task of nail-filing to take in the four individuals walking in. A slow, almost wicked, smile turned up on her lips. "Is this the newest client we'll be taking on?" She asked while setting down her nail file. She dropped her hand into her chin, leaning forward on it slightly to get a better few. She looked Maka up and down, smile widening more. "She's a cutie, but she's very different than the ones we usually take."

"You can say that again," The albino quipped bitterly, falling into one of the seats at a large circular table at the other end of the room.

"Spirit, Maka, this is Elizabeth, our secretary. Elizabeth, this is the Albarns. They are here for our services," Timp said, calmly indicating each as he spoke of them. Maka nodded her head respectfully while Spirit flashed one of his "sexy" little smiles. When his daughter saw this she introduced her elbow to his gut, making him release a whoosh of air with a pained whimper. "Now then, you two, why don't you sit down in those chairs there. Elizabeth, we need the papers for one of our contracts and a pen, if you'd be so kind."

"Sure thing, Mr. Imp," She said in an overly sweet voice. She pushed her desk chair back so that she was facing the large metal filing cabinets, opening a drawer and rummaging through.

"Elizabeth is the wife of one of the lawyers we work closely with. When our last secretary quit she was kind enough to offer to take over," Timp explained, just trying to make small talk. It appeared that in his bad mood Soul had decided that he didn't like that plan very much.

"Which actually amounts to her Sugar Daddy put her on an allowance and she didn't think it was big enough, hence the job to help keep her with plenty of cash," He said, settling into his usual position when seated at a table. Chair tilted back, feet on the table, hands laced behind his head, eyes shut in an attempt to do a little bit of dozing.

"Go to Hell, Eater," Elizabeth seethed as she walked over, dropping the heavy pages of the contract on his stomach. He let out a loud groan, arms flailing as the weight of the papers sent his tipping chair to the ground roughly. Satisfied with this retribution, the young secretary handed Timp the pen she had brought and returned to her usual perch at the front desk to resume her filing.

As she watched Soul grumble and pull himself back up, Maka decided that she liked Elizabeth.

"Anyway," Timp huffed while Soul slid the papers over to him from across the table, "there are a few conditions that come with our services."

"Like what?" Spirit asked worriedly. He certainly hoped there weren't any more things he was going to have to pay for; his account for Maka's graduation gift was already going to be tapped out because of this little mistake.

"The first condition is that you cannot come and see Maka here at the office after the contract is signed," The red demon said, shuffling through the contract until he found that page in the agreement. He then slid it to the human, the pain resting atop the pages. "Despite our services being well known in the underground, no one has ever actually been able to locate where we do our business. If you are ever seen coming or going from this place, it could spell big trouble for us."

"That sounds great. It's be nice to be free of Papa's pathetic whining for a while," Maka snickered lightly, sending a slight glare her father's way. While he sniffled and signed she turned back to Timp. "So what are the other terms?"

"You cannot go anywhere without Soul or I escorting you,"

Maka blanched. "I'm not a child! And I should be safe as long as I'm out during the day!"

"You seem to be confusing demons with vampires," Soul said with a laugh. He had returned to his previous position, though this time he had one eye open to watch Maka lazily. "I'll give you credit, though, since vampires are a type of demon. There are plenty of demons that can attack during the day and, if Giriko really is working for this guy, you are certainly not safe one your own. That bastard is especially ruthless when it comes to getting his prey, willing to tear up anything in his path, and I can vouch for that personally. So I suggest that you get used to be in the company of this mug right here, because you'll be seeing a lot more of it than I think you'd like." He smirked, indicating himself with a tip of his head.

Maka looked a touch peeved but still signed her name on the page for that clause.

"The third condition is that, should your daughter end up being injured in the process of protecting her, we are not accountable," Timp said while flipping through to another page. Powder blue eyes were narrowed at him suspiciously. "Ah, allow me to explain. Let's say, hypothetically, we get into a confrontation with Giriko and his co-workers. If Maka is shoved out of the way and sprains, say, her wrist, we are not liable for that. It was an accidental injury, received only to try and keep her safe. We do have a medical professional on-call at all times, so we can make sure she gets immediate treatment, but the bill will be your responsibility."

"So you're basically going to bleed my Papa dry?" Maka asked blandly, glaring at the tiny demon.

"Do **you** think it's fair for us to be held responsible if you get hurt while we are protecting you? Considering that you are only here because of your father in the first place?" He asked, holding up his hands in a defensive way. When she shifted her glare toward the tabletop he smirked. "That's what I thought."

There were a few other stipulations but Maka wasn't really paying much attention at this point. She had instead settled her gaze to watching the oddballs wandering around outside. Soul observed her further, wondering how it was this girl seemed just more annoyed and furious over the whole thing than actually torn up. There was a girl they'd taken in about five years ago, when they'd started this whole crazy business, whom had sat there wailing because she'd have to miss out on her prom because it would be too risk. But the whole There-Are-Men-With-Guns-Wanting-to-Turn-You-And-Mommy-Dearest-Into-Swiss-Cheese-Cuz-Daddy-Owes-Them-Money thing? Nope, that wasn't even on her radar; even when they **actually** did fire a few shots at her!

It was then that Soul swore that they would only take very specific clients; preferably clients whom cared about their well-being more than their Prada bags.

After everything was good and signed, Timp stood and nodded his head toward Soul. "Now then, while I take you to the bank, Mr. Albarn, Mr. Eater here shall help your daughter settle in and get more familiar with her surrounding," He said with a smile, walking back to Elizabeth's desk. He set the papers and the pen back down for her. She glanced up from putting a fresh coat of peach colored paint on her nails. "Thanks a ton, Elizabeth. Once your nails are done, if it isn't too much trouble, would you mind filing this contract under the As for me?"

"But of course, Mr. Imp," She said in a much warmer tone than she'd given to Soul moments before.

"You give her too much freedom, Timp," The younger owner called over his shoulder, opening a door a few feet behind Elizabeth's door. He ignored the angry look she flashed him and nodded his head toward the stairs. "Okay, Tiny T, grab your shit and lets head on up."

"I told you not to call me that," The young teen ground out, yanking two duffel bags on one shoulder and the third on the other. She then hefted up the box of books and headed toward him, stopping when she stood beside him.

He flashed her a lazy grin and leaned on the thin strip of wall between the doorframe and the other wall that made the office. "No, you said not to call you Tiny Tits; Tiny T was not expressly rejected. And you can't take it back now, because it doesn't go against the initial terms," His smirk slowly turned into a shit-eating grin as her cheeks puffed out in rage at him.

Of course, Maka was ready with an intelligent and well-thought out argument. "Ass," She hissed out bitterly before stomping her way up the stairs. Soul watched her go, leaning forward slightly and gawking openly when the angle was just perfect enough for him to peek under her skirt.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me! She's wearing white granny panties!" He groaned, slapping a hand over his forehead. That was when he heard a 'whooshing' sound, followed by an excruciating amount of pain to his face. He hit the ground with a loud, painful thump. Through the buzzing in his ears he could hear Elizabeth cackling like some kind of mutated hyena, and Maka sputtering angry insults at him. Had she really thrown the **entire** fucking box at him? He carefully peeled the many books off of his face, sitting up to point one at the huffy blonde at the top of the stairs accusingly. "That was a text book example of use of excessive force!"

"It was not excessive in the least! You were **looking up my skirt**!" She snapped back angrily.

"And it's not like there was anything of interest to be discovered so get over it!" He remarked while standing again. He wrinkled his nose, wondering briefly if he should confiscate her books; they could be used as a lethal weapon, after all. He decided against it and instead tossed the one in his hand to join the pile on the floor. He heard her let out a displeased squeak and dart back down to her books, leaving her bags at the top of the stairs.

"You're supposed to be protecting me from being robbed of my virginity! Don't you think that something like what you just did is counterproductive?" She growled, glaring up at him from her spot kneeling beside her books.

He shrugged at her, rolling his eyes. "You're the first girl that's been put off by my attention. After all, how many girls get to say they were living with a sexy beast like me?" He couldn't help but smirk in pride at this remark.

Jade orbs gave him a once over before she smirked at him smugly. "I've seen better. It's the headband, really; it makes you look like a tool," She mused before turning and heading back up the stairs, trampling on his pride at the same time. Not having a response prepared, Soul merely stomped up after her.

Elizabeth was at her desk, laughing so hard she was pretty sure she was going to die.

Soul surveyed the apartment, surprised to see that Timp had gotten pretty much everything in the living room and hallway out. The kitchen, however, was something they decided against touching. "Your room is this one," Soul said, stepping around her and lightly tapping the first door on the left of the short hallway. He then nodded his head toward the hallway from hers. "That's bathroom. You'll need to flick the switch twice to get the light to turn on; some kind of electrical issue that we've been too busy to work on. Feel free to get yourself comfortable in your room just keep it down; I'll be taking a nap." He then slipped back over to the futon, tossing his jacket onto the nearby lounge chair. He kicked off his shoes, tossed his headband on the coffee table and then slithered under the blankets like a snake through grass.

Maka rolled her eyes at his sock-clad feet peeking out from the end of the blanket before disappearing into the room that would be hers for the next few months.

The room was simple but she was grateful for that. The walls were painted white (most likely to avoid someone whining about the not liking any other color). There was a bookcase against one wall and a desk next to the bed, both of which she was more than grateful for. The bed itself was wearing a matching comforter set. It was mostly white, with black lines and ovals that looked like branched and leaves, and then others that were meant to look like flowers. The flowers came in black, white inside with a black outline and pink; there was the occasional bird profile in pink in some places as well. A small white-washed dresser sat next to the two sliding doors that revealed the closet. Inside the closet, on the shelf, was a second set of bedding in a plastic wrapper; most likely a less feminine design for any male clients that they took in (though she doubted they ever really needed it).

Setting her things down on the bed, Maka grabbed the coat hangers that were hanging in the closet and set to work on getting things set up for herself.

…

Soul yawned and stretched, poking his head out and glancing at the clock. It was just a little after five, meaning that Timp would probably be back from his first batch of errands. One would be surprised how much effort it took for them to get everything with their contracts into order, not that Soul knew much about the whole system; he just knew that it took Timp a few hours to get the mandatory, immediate errands out of the way. He tossed back the blanket and headed toward the kitchen, wondering if maybe there would be a little morsel that could tide him over until they could get something real in the house.

A quick search through the fridge turned up nothing but a bunch of spoiled items in tightly sealed containers. He was grateful, since he did not like the idea of getting hit with whatever fragrance the once-edible items would have gotten from their healthy aging process. He stretched and glanced at the cursed microwave. A shudder rolled up his spine. Was that a pair of glowing golden eyes staring back at him, through two circular spots in the black muck that covered the inside of the peep window. "What the actual fuck?" He uttered in disbelief, leaning in close. Wait… Did that thing just **blink** at him?

"I'm back," Timp suddenly called, opening the door. In one hand he carried two large cardboard pizza boxes and the other was left empty so that he could still get around. "So Mr. Albarn was able to get me the down payment and he'll get me the rest at the end of the month, when he gets his next check. Also, I got our last payment from our last client so… Soul, what are you staring at?" He paused in his talking, setting the pizzas on the coffee table, to stare at the younger male.

Slowly Soul turned from the microwave screen, indicating it with one finger. "There's something alive in there. It blinked at me," His voice rang with an alarming amount of clarity. Despite being a demon, Soul had never heard of food turning into tiny mutant creatures in one's microwave; after all, some things were just not feasible.

Timp stared at him, silently wondering if his young charge had finally snapped. "Soul, step away from the microwave. I'll inform Ms. Albarn that her first task tomorrow will be cleaning it out," He said blandly, tossing the blanket from the futon to the lounge chair. He then set to getting the futon to return back to its couch position.

"Or to hire an exorcist," He stated, casting one last suspicious glance at the appliance. It seemed that whatever it was that was inside had grown bored with him, since the eyes were no longer peering out through the grime. "What kind did you get?"

"I got one cheese and one supreme. I wasn't sure what Ms. Albarn would want so I decided to go the route of safety with the second one," Timp explained, setting the two boxes beside one another and turning on the television.

"Oh, yeah, I should probably go get her, shouldn't I?" He asked, scratching the back of his head. Amber eyes rolled slightly at the slim trace of distaste in his boss' voice.

"I've never met a cheerleader you couldn't get along with. I have to admit, it makes me doubt if you have as much 'swag' as you like to delude yourself into thinking," The tiny horned man said while plucking a slice of supreme from the box.

"Okay, seriously, Timp? Do you even know what that word **means**?"

"Oh, please. You act like you're the only one whom keeps up with the lingo all the kids on the street are keen to use,"

"…Timp, if we want this whole relationship of ours to keep working, we are going to have to have a serious conversation later. Because between you saying 'hip', you thinking this girl is my type, and now this whole 'swag' thing… Just know that I am a man on the edge," He said, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.

"You're just made because Ms. Albarn has a high enough IQ to not take your shit," Timp snickered before taking another bit, ignoring the scalding look he received. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I thought we were tight, dawg." He smirked, pounding his chest and then flashing a peace sign at the shark-toothed demon. The look of complete horror and discomfort was just oh-so worth it.

"I am so not kidding around, Timp. You. Me. Very serious conversation later, once the brat goes to bed. There will be many, many words," He said, pointing at the other to drive the point home. He then turned and headed toward Maka's door, just about to knock when he heard something.

Was that… Oh, it was! She was actually crying!

Being as sneaky and quiet as he could be, he slowly opened the door and peered in. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, holding a picture frame tight enough her knuckles were turning white. He had been wondering when this would happen; this always happened. Every girl had one of these "Oh, woe is me!" cry-sessions on the first day they were here. "I… I just… I try so hard," She hiccupped softly. He leaned against the doorframe, waiting to hear more of her lamenting. "I thought maybe if I was smart enough, or well-behaved enough, then maybe you would stop… You'd stop going out and sleeping around and doing all of **this**. But instead you've just been getting worse, and now you've dragged me into it. Why? Why can I not be good enough for you to want to stay home with, Papa? Why? I may be mean and harsh sometimes but I still love you. Don't you love me, too, Papa?"

Oh, now **that** was not normal at all.

How exactly does one go about responding to that? He may be a demon, but even Soul had feelings; despite how often he liked to keep that fact well hidden. In the last few years he learned that caring got you nowhere but really fucked up, both physically and emotionally. He learned that much years ago, in a time before he and Timp started up this business. He learned that back when he and Giriko met last time in contact, when he almost lost everything that he ever gave a damn about. He could sympathize with someone whom was a little self-loathing, a soul riddled with guilt. But hearing this actually made him feel a little bad for her.

After all, he hadn't thought that maybe her violent reactions were as much a defense mechanism as his aloof, snarky attitude was his.

He decided to let her think her privacy had been respected, at the very least. He shut the door, took a step back, took in a breath and then knocked loudly. He heard her scramble about, uttering a few quiet swears, and the clatter of her setting the picture from down. "What do you want?" She barked out harshly, almost all trace of the hurt young lady she had just been gone. Hell, if he didn't know for a fact she'd just been bawling her eyes out he probably would have been duped.

"Calm what little tits you got, short-stack," He responded, keeping his own tone annoyed. He shifted a bit closer to the door so that she could hear him a little better. "Timp brought us some grub. Get yourself proper, or whatever, and come get something to eat."

There was silence for a moment before she released a quiet, "Okay. Thanks, Soul." He made some disgruntled noise before heading back to the main room, flopping down beside his co-worker on the futon.

Timp was holding up his second slice, preparing to take a bit. "So, is it now cool to stand outside of a young ladies room for roughly three minutes before you actually knock?" He snickered.

"Shut up, Timp," Soul snorted, snatching the other's slice of pie right out of his hand and happily shoving it down his own gullet.

End

Notes:

Guess whose still having a shit ton of fun? Me~!

And yes, Soul is kind of an ass right now (and is apparently channeling Black*Star). The reason he acts this way will be revealed in time (I did some foreshadowing), and I promise he'll get better. Maka's good at whipping him into shape, after all. :D

Next Chapter:

He was behind her in a second, her head shifting briefly when she heard the rustle of the curtains. He was right up against her, leaning over her but not staring at her, his chest almost flush against her back. No, his gaze was shifted toward the odd creature crawling its way from the wreckage of what it once called home. It's large, round yellow eyes shifted up toward them, locking with the horrified burgundy of her male guard. She swallowed thickly, looking at the hamster-sized fruit creature. She decided that she was going to have to risk it and snap him out of his daze. "Hey, Soul, is that really a wal-!"


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I do own the plot.

Chapter Three

The next morning Maka was up bright and early. She took a quick shower and then headed out to the kitchen, planning to clean it since, as her male guards told her the night before, she would not be sitting around and "doing facials" the entire time she was here. No, they revealed to her that she was going to be in charge of cooking and cleaning since they'd be doing all the "hard work of keeping the big-baddies away". She had decided not to say any biting remarks, despite how many of them were just stomping about on the tip of her tongue, begging to be unleashed like a righteous verbal tornado, and agreed to their terms. The kitchen hadn't looked to be too bad off, after all.

That was her thought, until she was greeted by the microwave staring at her.

She took a deep breath and then peeked over at Soul, whose prone form she could see hanging haphazardly over the edge of the futon. This was probably a demon thing in there, right? Surely he'd know how to handle it. Steeling her nerves, she trotted over and tried giving him a light shake. She received a sleepy snort and him turning on his side, curling so that the blanket completely encompassed his upper half and left his lower half out to view. She sighed and put her hands on her hips, stubbornly refusing to let him sleep through this possibly dangerous situation (as well as not snort at the plumber's crack visible because of how low his boxers were riding). "Hey, Soul Eater, we have a small situation in the kitchen," She huffed lightly. He grunted and scuttled his body until he was laying with his rear pointed directly toward her, putting his head closer to the wall and the front door.

Years of dealing with Black*Star, however, had left Maka a seasoned pro at awakening men whom wanted to put up a fuss. Whether it be human or "God" or demon she would always turn up the victor of these bouts. With another stubborn puff, she walked to where the nearby curtain-covered sliding glass doors, yanking them open to allow the bright sunshine into the room. She then marched back over to Soul, stepping onto the futon and remaining standing. "I'll give you one last chance; get up on your own or get up the Maka Albarn way," She said casually. Her answer was simply more grumbles and mumbles.

Fine, he'd simply have to play it her way then.

Pressing her hands against the wall for support, she placed one sock-clad foot against his back, a bit closer up toward his shoulder blades. She counted to five, seeing if the new pressure would get a more animated response, then shoved with all her might. Soul scooted right along the futon and made a crash landing with the hard carpeted floor, head first. He howled in agony and shot right up while Maka hopped into a sitting position on the now vacant piece of furniture, leaning over and smiling at him with too much energy. "The **fuck** was that for?" He roared.

"Morning, Sunshine," She giggled cheerily, clapping her hands together and resting them against her cheek. "I'm so glad to see you up. I'm actually in need of a little help; you see, there's something a little less than Holy in one of your kitchen appliances."

His frustration was temporarily forgotten at this bit of news. "Good to know I really saw something in there," He thought aloud, glancing back toward the kitchen. He then looked back at the young blonde in front of him. Yeah, he didn't like this girl. At all. "Look, just kill it with one of your books. You nearly did me in yesterday when you threw **the whole damn box** at my head."

"My books are precious to me! I can't go using them for trivial things like this!" She squeaked indignantly. Soul's eye was twitching at this.

"Did you forget the whole throwing-whole-box-at-my-fucking-head thing or are you just deaf? Because I'm pretty sure I **just** mentioned it," He quipped sarcastically. She glared and crossed her arms over her chest, turning her head away.

"There was the cardboard from the box in the way, keeping them safe from any damage they'd receive from you! Now it's either you take care of whatever that thing in there is or you'll just have to starve for the next few months!"

"And what about you, Einstein? You'll starve too," He laughed, honestly surprised by the lack of thought to her argument.

"No, I won't. Unlike you, I know how to make food without using a microwave. You know, that magical little thing called **cooking**?" There was too much malice, too much arrogance in those words for him to believe. She had such a tiny body; where did she keep up all this mean-spirited-ness? Or, rather, where was the rather tame and manageable young woman she'd been the night before, both during and after her little sob-fest?

He should have known that it wouldn't last. He and God were not on the best of terms, after all.

"You want me to take care of that? Okay, fine, I'll handle it," He said finally, scrubbing a hand over his face. He rose up, ignoring the satisfied little grin that had sprouted on that monster's face. He stepped into the kitchen and looked at the microwave. He stared at the golden eyes for a moment before peering behind the electrical device, to where the cord keeping it attached to the outlet was. One quick yank and it was free; one more careful yank from him and he was carrying the rectangular containment unit through the living room. "Open the patio door, Tiny Tits."

"Aren't you over-reacting a little?" She asked, too baffled by his response to take note of the rude nickname.

"No. Now open the door or I'll just shatter the damn thing," He barked back in a surprisingly even tone. She blinked then sighed, shaking her head but getting up and doing what he had demanded. Soul stepped out and peered over the unguarded edge of the patio. "Looks like quite the fall. Whelp, here we go!" He shrugged, hefting the filthy piece of plastic and wires to its doom.

In the restroom, polishing his horns in preparation for his day, Tiny Imp could feel a chill run down his spine, as well as a shaking in the pocket of his suit that housed his wallet.

"Was that really necessary?" Maka asked, slipping beside Soul and peering cautiously at where the microwave now rested on the cold ground, the glass screen on the front of the door smashed. The broken glass had all landed inside and the small being that owned those golden orbs had yet to squirm out.

"It doesn't matter. We were going to need a new one anyway," He said, deciding that this was simply going to push the matter along to his more responsible companion. That old, white microwave was just something they'd bought to actually have one to use; now they could get a way cooler one. Preferably in black, or maybe stainless steel. "Now can you come finish the kitchen and make the grocery list? I need something to eat."

"Hey, wait! That thing that was inside is coming out!" She called, shoving her head back into the room. Soul was already sitting on the futon again, preparing to slip back into his cocoon of cotton for a few more minutes. She disappeared against to watch it and he shoved his face in his hands. How the Hell was she this energetic in the morning? Just like Timp, always early to bed and early to rise, apparently. Why did have to get stuck with all these morning people? "Is that… Hey, it's a little pumpkin-looking thing…"

What was that she said?

He was behind her in a second, her head shifting briefly when she heard the rustle of the curtains. He was right up against her, leaning over her but not staring at her, his chest almost flush against her back. No, his gaze was shifted toward the odd creature crawling its way from the wreckage of what it once called home. It's large, round yellow eyes shifted up toward them, locking with the horrified burgundy of her male guard. She swallowed thickly, looking at the hamster-sized fruit creature. She decided that she was going to have to risk it and snap him out of his daze. "Hey, Soul, is that really a wal-!"

"Go back inside, Maka," He ground out lowly, one hand falling to her shoulder and squeezing tightly. She winced a bit, the pressure more surprising her than actually hurting, but she did as he said. His voice sounded very strained and it left her unnerved. What did that thing have to do with him? Was it a warning from that Giriko guy Timp mentioned the other day or something?

'_Demons are weird,'_ She thought before heading to the kitchen to start cleaning out the fridge. She glanced up to see one of his hands appear and yank the curtain closed again, leaving her unable to see what he was doing. She decided to ignore it, as well as the soft click of the sliding door shutting, and trying to focus on her work.

Once he was sure Maka would be unable to hear or see anything, he carefully hopped down from the patio to land on the ground beside the smashed appliance, lack of shoes be damned. "So, I assume that my good friend Blair sent you?" He asked, snatching the tiny thing up.

Its little mouth twisted into a grin, revealing the neatly-cut square teeth typical of a Jack-O-Lantern. This, though, was not new or bizarre to Soul, since he knew that little minx had a sweet spot for Halloween. She thought that human celebration was charming, unlike most demons whom found it to just be racist and degrading to their people, and had adjusted her magic as such. "My Mistress has merely told Jack to check on how you're doing," It said in a voice that sounded like if Alvin the Chipmunk was kicked in the nuts. The pitch could actually deafen a human if certain precautions were not taken; only one of the reasons he sent Maka away.

The main reason was that her questions would have gotten annoying.

"How about you tell your 'Mistress' to drop dead and back the fuck off?" He snarled, his hand squeezing the tiny Jack. It squeaked and squirmed, trying to kick free. Its little legs were less painful and more annoying, like getting poked in one place on the hand with a toothpick over and over again. "It's been almost six years since our last little episode and I'm not in the mood for a repeat show. Tell her to go get stuck in a tree." He then threw the tiny thing into a nearby trash can, ignoring the pained squeal it released.

He was getting ready to climb back up to the balcony (using the dangling piece as a make-shirt set of stairs, since it was more stable than it looked) when he heard it rustle and return to the top. Jack stared at him, yellow eyes now flashing white in rage. "My Mistress will not be pleased, with my treatment or your response, Eater. You should prepare for your day of reckoning," He hissed bitterly.

Soul rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to getting to the second floor again, without going through the front. He wasn't going to be intimidated by something he could have probably taken out with a chomp of his jaws on its tiny body. He probably would have too, if not for the fact those things gave him wicked bad heartburn.

Inside he was greeted by Timp, wearing a look he was all too familiar with. "Now, before you get mad," Soul started to say.

"Too late for that, Soul, my friend,"

"You need to keep an open mind and an open heart, Timp,"

"What I need is for you to not go around breaking things. Especially things that are going to cost a pretty penny to replace,"

"Well, we needed a new coffee machine, right? Now we can get a coffee pot and microwave that actually match,"

"**That's** your defense? Wow, you really a moron, aren't you?" Of course that mouthy little girl just **had **to toss her two cents into the argument. Even though he couldn't see her, the fridge door was open so he had a hunch she was probably trying to scrub the various sticky, fuzzy spills from the sides of the walls and the metal grates of the shelves. He could basically hear her pleasure at this whole battle of wits going on between he and Timp. She was probably kneeling there, one hand holding the frame of the fridge, while the other held a sponge, working at the many accidents he'd been too lazy to clean up. She'd be grinning far too much like a fox that had just found an injured little bunny that was ripe for the pickings.

It was only their second day of knowing her and he could already see that expression all too well in his mind. He did not take that as a good sign.

"I'm glad to see I'm not the only one whom isn't falling for your rather… Poor sense of logic," Timp tacked on, clearly his throat in his search for words. There really were not enough words to describe it, though. Well, not to him, anyway. Had he not made it clear he wanted the microwave in tack? "Well, I guess I can find a way to shift around the finances to allow these frivolous purchases. Just don't expect as much as usual when I transfer your cut of the pie to you next week."

"Wait, you're going to take it out of my paycheck? Where's the logic in that?" Soul growled lowly, his eye twitching.

"It is only fair, since you went against what we agreed on just yesterday," The smaller creature said before walking to the coffee table. He picked up the keys to Soul's motorcycle, producing the keys to his own vehicle instead. "Now, I've got an appointment with Arachne to get a copy of that contract. Since you and Ms. Albarn are going to take care of the grocery shopping, I'll be taking the bike."

Crack!

Oh, what was that sound? That was the sound of Soul's brain crashing. Hard. "How the Hell are you going to drive my baby? Your feet sure won't reach the pedals!" He snapped, pointing at between himself and his companion desperately. Yellow eyes again tinted with annoyance but he decided against keeping up the argument.

"I have driven motorcycles before, Soul. I spent my youth running around with your mother, after all," He scoffed calmly. Maka perked up at this, appearing from over the entryway to the tiny kitchen.

"Wait, are you two father and son or something?" She asked interestedly. Both demons stared at her, not sure if they should be angry or just baffled. After all, the only attribute they had in common was the teeth. But lots of demons had sharp, pointed teeth. She blushes a bit and scowls. "Why do you have to look at me like that? It's just a simple question!" She huffed before disappearing back to her previous task. She was almost done with cleaning the first shelf.

"With that little bit of oddness floating about, you are just going to have to deal with this, Soul. It's either that or you two will have to wait until I return with the car to go shopping, which I would not recommend. You need to stop eating out so much," Timp lectured. Soul rolled his eyes, flapping his hand as if he had a sock puppet over it. "I'm being serious, Soul. I expect there to be some actual food in this house when I return. And if there is none, I will be dishing out a severe punishment."

"Just get a move on. You wouldn't want to keep SpiderBitch waiting; she might suffocate you with her tits or something," Soul snickered, watching the other cringe slightly.

"Ugh. Don't remind me of that woman's chest. They cannot be real; not breasts that large and water balloon-esque in nature," He said, opening the door and stepping out.

The last thing he heard was Soul's laughed, "Yeah, maybe she could use her magic to give an ounce of that bounce to Lolita he-Ow! Did you just throw **one of the fucking grates** from the fridge at me? Oh, you are going to pay for that!"

If it wasn't so funny to watch his boss get his ass kicked, Timp probably wouldn't like dealing with someone like Maka Albarn. Lucky for her he had an admirable sense of humor.

…

"How much crap are you going to get?" She could feel her eye twitching. This was the third time in the last ten minutes he had complained about still being in the store. Instead of answering, however, Maka scratched the word 'Bread' from her list and placed two loaves in the child seat for safe keeping, silently making a note to put the eggs they'd need to grab later beneath them. "Can we at least get some pasta or something?" He chimed, leaning over to examine her list and finding an absence of said food on the list.

She pressed the list to her chest, clicking her pen closed and glaring at him. "I asked you if there was anything in specific you wanted when I was writing the list. Why didn't you mention it then?" She asked calmly while returning the pen to its safe spot in her purse.

"I didn't think I needed to mention something as basic and incredible as pasta," He kept his tone less arrogant than usual when he saw he snatch up a loaf of French bread. He was a benevolent man when he was being obeyed, after all. He shoved his fists into his pockets, giving the other shopping a quick glance for any sign of trouble, before allowing his back to slouch like usual. "So is there anything about you I need to be specifically aware of?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, peering up at the sign of what items were on the next aisle. Baking goods, spices and canned sauces; they were going to need garlic powder, spaghetti sauce and a few other things so this was not a skipable aisle.

"You know, routines and stuff. I mean, you sure seem like a geeky home-body but you never know. You could really be a crack dealer for all I know," He smirked at how she turned red from the tips of her ears to the tip of her chin at his remarks. She looked like she was going to throw the very large can of spaghetti sauce she had picked up at him, causing him to fling an arm over his head in defense, but a tiny old lady turned down the aisle away. Not wanting to have to deal with potentially frightening an old woman, Maka merely dropped the can into the cart with a loud clatter when it knocked into the dish and laundry soap she had grabbed. He let his arm drop and smirked, making a mental note of this; make rude comments in public and there will be no punishments to suffer. "So, anything interesting to make note of?"

"Yeah. On Saturdays and Sundays I work at a small daycare downtown. Black*Star works there too, though, so you don't need to tag along or anything," She said calmly, picking up two different brands of garlic powder and comparing ingredients. She then looked at the prices and made a noise, dropping the cheaper one in the cart. Who was going to pay a whole thirty cents more for a brand just because the label looked cuter with a little garlic man in a top hat atop it? She certainly wouldn't! "It would be great if I could borrow your car for the drive, though. And don't worry, I'd make sure to put gas in it." She said, pushing the cart along as they walked past the old woman.

"We already discussed this," He said calmly, grabbing her arm and forcing her to stop. She wheeled around and glared at him. "You can't go anywhere without me. And I may not like kids but I am getting paid to watch after your ass."

"Black*Star will be with me, I'll be fine," She argued back, yanking her arm out of his grasp. He pressed closer, entering too far into her personal space bubble, keeping her caged between him and the cart using his hands. He pulled the cart toward him, forcing her to stumble a little closer as he leaned down. They were nearly nose to nose and she was fighting her hardest to keep from blushing. "Fine, if you don't believe me, I'll have Mr. Timp go with me. You two said that only one of you had to escort me, right?"

Oh, she really **was** a smart one! Normally no one commented on how rarely Timp did any of the actual work of taking them from Point A to Point B, or slicing up lackeys that were sent to retrieve them. Then again, Soul was also a quick-wit when he wanted to be. "Well, that all depends. If Timp takes over guarding and escorting you, that means I have to handle the legal end of things. And do I look like the type of guy you'd want handling the contract?" He asked, indicating himself with one hand calmly.

Jade orbs slipped past him, locking on the elderly woman trying to reach an item far too high for her to get. "Shut up and do me a favor; go help that woman real fast," She huffed lightly, pressing back against the cart slightly. Soul decided to take this moment to let go, biting his lip to keep from guffawing when the cart wheeled away and left her to fall on her ass. "You're a real ass, you know that?" She ground out, muttering swears as she pushed herself up.

"So I've been told," He snickered lightly before turning to do as she instructed. He plucked a box of cake frosting from the top shelf and offered it to her. "Was this what you needed?" He asked calmly.

"Oh, thank you, dearie!" The woman said with a small smile. He nodded his head as her hands took the offered item and he waltzed back over to Maka. He was opening his mouth to say something when they heard a low whistle in the back. "Mmhmm! Baby got back! If I was fifty years younger, sweetie, I'd rock your world in ways you could never even imagine!" The old woman crooned, placing the frosting in the shopping basket she was carrying on her arm.

Maka covered her mouth with one hand, watching as Soul's face slowly turned pink, then red, then this very pretty shade that was just a shade or two lower than violet. "I… This is why I never do good deeds. You better make that pasta for dinner tonight, because I earned it!" Soul hissed out before stomping to the end of the aisle.

As Maka watched him go, she felt her own pinks turn slightly pink. "He really does have a nice… Ugh, what the Hell?" She mumbled, shaking her head to chase away the thoughts. He was a complete asshole; appealing in the physical sense but his attitude was way too off-putting. She then felt a hand on her shoulder.

It was the old woman, grinning in a lecherous way that made Maka's spine tense up. "Dearie, let me just say, don't let that get away from you," She mused lightly.

"He's a jerk and he's my bodyguard and he's a demon!" She sputtered frantically. Why was this woman coming to her like this? Why couldn't she just leave Maka alone so that she could finish her shopping in peace?

"A demon, eh? Well that's not much different than when I was a lass. Trust me when I say that the ones with the tough bravado are always the most fun in the sack," She sighed lightly, eyes closing as she thought back on her own past. She then perked back up. "Oh, fiddlesticks! I need to get the rest of my things; Peggy won't be pleased if Grammy doesn't make her a cake for her birthday!" She laughed before shuffling away.

"Hey, Tiny Tits, come on! Let's hurry this up!" She heard Soul call her from the next aisle over, having just realized she wasn't still trailing behind him. Shuddering at the things the old woman had said, Maka pushed the cart along hurriedly to catch up to Soul.

With any luck, they wouldn't run into her again the rest of their trip.

…

Timp walked into Chupa Cabra's with his head held high and a plan to keep things civil. He had called the day before, saying he needed to come by for the copy of some documents, and Arachne had been her usual calm self. One of the clubs many beefy, monstrous bodyguards led him to one of the private rooms. At this thought, his stomach dropped and he could feel annoyance begin to fill him up.

Standing outside the door, he could hear the woman's high pitched and pleased squeals. "This woman… So uncouth and unladylike," He mumbled lightly. He pulled up the sleeve of his jacket to check the time. No, he was right on time for their meeting; meaning she probably **wanted** him to come in and chat while she was entertaining. "Any way you can have a martini sent up for me, please?" He asked to the guard.

"Whose tab do you want it charged on, sir?" The guard asked with a curt nod, a bit of drool dripping down from the corner of his mouth. That, however, was just a curse that boar demons had to live with; the husks made it hard to control the flow of one's saliva.

"Spirit Albarn, please," He said evenly before opening the door. He sighed heavily at the trio on the bed, wearing nothing but their birthday suits. "Ah, good afternoon, Arachne. Good to see you two again as well, Giriko, Justin." He said crisply, averting his eyes toward the plush red chair positioned toward the bed. He walked over and settled in, crossing one leg over the other.

"It's good to see you again, Mr. Imp. How are things with Mr. Eater going?" She purred, glancing at him over Justin's shoulder. She then let out a sharp cry, throwing her head back, as her red-haired companion bit into one of her breasts rather roughly. "Now, you mentioned some documents on the phone?" She panted after she settled down a little.

"Yes, in regards to a recent contract your current boss received," He said while leaning back. He quirked an eyebrow, watching as Justin pressed his head against her shoulder and muttered something. Was that the Lord's prayer he heard? Not necessarily something you should go saying with one hand on a woman's breast and the other down between her legs, in his own opinion. "Who are you working for now, if you don't mind me asking? You three certainly aren't well known for coming at an easy price."

She hummed contently, spreading her knees a little farther apart and giving the boys more access. "On top of a nice chunk of change, we also get use of the luxury private chambers whenever we want, all our drinks on the house, and my boys get to have their fun knocking skulls around. I certainly never thought we'd run into you and Mr. Eater again, though. Not after last time, and not considering it is Lord Mosquito contracting our services right now," Timp tensed up at her words, eyes narrowing to daggers. He heard Giriko snicker and it took everything in him not to want to show that smug bastard why Timp was well-known as a top demon in his youth.

Lord Mosquito had once been a wimpy, low-level demon that anyone could knock around; Timp should know, since he had knocked the other around a few times in his younger days. Over the years, however, the other male had hardened his heart and begun devouring the souls of higher level demons he happened to trick into death. This led to him gaining more strength and more powers. Add the new abilities to his already high intellect and he was a force to be reckoned with. Dealing with these kinds of cases, with such a powerful force amongst the underworlders, was not something that the red demon had been thinking to take on. Last time they went toe-to-toe with one like Mosquito, a little over five years ago as a favor to a close friend, they had met Giriko for the first time.

It had also been a rather dark day in both their lives; the day Soul lost everything, and Timp was forced to break a part of the promise he made to Masumi years ago.

"I see. Well, congratulations on having such a bout of success with your current gig," He said casually. The door opened a pretty little she-demon entered, a tray with a drink balanced on the tip of her mace-like tail. He held up his hand, flashing her a small smile. She was a cute, young thing which made him feel a little better about the news he'd just heard. "Thanks, doll." He said, taking the drink and offering her a five as a tip.

"Thank you, sir," She giggled merrily before turning and walking off, carrying the tray under her arm now. She made sure to sway her hips, tail shifting in perfect unison with her strut.

He took a sip and made a face. Whoever had mixed this drink clearly did not know how to do it right. "Anyway, I'm here about the contract deal with Spirit Albarn. I just need a copy for myself and my team to look over," He said, taking another sip. A drink was still a drink, after all.

The party on the bed came to a grinding halt and the ebony haired woman shifted, crawling across the bed so that she was facing him completely. "You must be kidding, Mr. Imp," She said, eyes glinting with mild amusement. He met her gaze briefly before turning his attention back to his glass. Now she just looked mildly concerned. "Now, I had heard you two had become bodyguards for humans but I was not expecting you to be here about that case. You've been dealing with people whom owe money, not people whom sell their children. That's a very big jump in subject matter."

"Well, the times are changing. We are all forced to adjust. Now, may I get the copy of the documents?" He asked with an annoyed sigh.

"You don't want to get involved with this, Cernunnos (1)," She said coldly, eyes narrowed to a glare. He met her icy stare at her use of his actual name. "Why don't you just bring us the girl and this can end? You don't want to have to go stitching your partner up again, now do you? After all, there would be no one there to protect him long enough for you to save him this time; you'd end up getting more blood on your hands than you already have."

"Soul isn't the same boy he was all those years ago. We have agreed to take on the Albarn case and we will do our job; if you want a fight, you've got a fight. And let me promise you, it won't be a fight you will win," He said while standing. He dropped the glass on the floor and crushed it beneath one of his feet; an act of disrespect in the demon world. "Now, give me the documents I came here for so that I may leave your deplorable company."

Giriko snarled, starting rise from the sheets, when Arachne held out a hand. "Well then, you've always been an interesting man, even for old withered one," The woman said with a small laugh. She looked at Justin. "Justin, be a dear and get the papers for Mr. Imp."

"Yes, My Lady," He said, getting off the bed and quickly scooping up his clothes. He looked rattled, watching the old demon wearily, as he exited the room.

Timp kept his gaze fixed firmly on the door the rest of the time, refusing to acknowledge the other two; even when they resumed their previous actions.

End

(1) Cernunnos – The name Cernunnos means "Horned One" in a foreign language I can't remember. I didn't want his actual name to be Tiny Imp, so I decided that this is the name he took because of events that will be delved into further in the near future.

Notes:

My best friend and I are going to be like that old lady when we're older. We've already decided this and agreed on it. All yet-to-be-born-sexy-men beware~! :3

Wanted to update this before I left for my trip, since you are all so super special to me. It might take me a little longer to get to the next chapter, since this weekend I'll be running around with my friends meeting Troy Baker (the voice of Excalibur and White*Star in Soul Eater… Yeah, just think about that for a minute. Suddenly Black*Star makes so much more sense, doesn't he?) I'll be taking pictures and will probably upload them to my tumblr or deviantart account once I get back, so if you watch me there you can see the hideous beast that is Piyoko. :3

Next Chapter:

Even though he hadn't told her, he had overheard those words she had whispered to her father's picture. It was the chink in her carefully built armor, the weak link in the chain that could be used to give him the upper hand in any fight. She had this sense of incompleteness, of not being good enough to meet up to anyone else's standards, and he was planning to use it when the moment was right. _'So why use it against her now, when she wasn't even trying to pick a fight?'_ He wondered, not too sure why he'd said it. Then again, he was not good at dealing with girls like her; he was used to vapid, easily controlled girls whom would fall for his looks and demonic charm with a snap of his fingers.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I do own the plot.

Chapter Four

Maka took a deep breath as she readied herself for yet another battle. It was currently six in the morning, but she had to leave for work in about an hour. As she was learning, Soul Eater was not a fan of the morning; unlike she, he was a man whom enjoyed staying up late and sleeping most of the day away. Maka, on the other hand, preferred waking up early and having the whole day to focus on all the various tasks she had to do for the day. Even since she was a young girl, she had always liked having her days (even the days when she had nothing planned, having those fleeting hours with no commitments) figured out and scheduled properly.

Her demonic body guard was more of a go-with-the-flow kind of individual, which simply did not work with her.

She was not, however, above earning herself some brownie points since she could tell his patience with her was at a constant low. They had this remarkable ability to just flip a switch in one another that caused them to butt heads and lock horns in these very vicious bouts. Three days ago, after they had returned from the grocery store, he had left her to carry all the grocery bags up by herself. She had responded by hitting him with a book and telling him to gather up both he and Timp's clothes so she could get the laundry done. Not liking getting physically beaten, Soul had snuck a fake snake into the hamper and nearly given the poor girl a heart attack.

And since she was not one to be out classed (especially by a complete jackass), she had tossed a red sock into the load of his white clothing she'd done. For nearly two days, he'd been stubbornly ignoring her because of the crime of turning his clothes **pink**. At first it hadn't bothered her, since she had nowhere to really be these last few days, but then she remembered she had work on Saturday morning. She had asked Timp the night before if he could take her, but he explained he'd be spending his day in his room/office looking over every last detail of the contract her father had signed.

So here she was, preparing a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon and home-made biscuits and gravy to get on his good side. "This better work or I'm going to seriously kick his ass," She grumbled bitterly, jumping back when the bacon popped some grease at her, almost hitting her in the arm. Maka had always enjoyed eating bacon but hated being the one to make it, having a certain distain for the sharp sting of the grease that would burn her arms. She took a deep breath as she shifted the pan away from the heat, biting her cheek to hold back the small pained squeak she wanted to release when the cooked meat popped a few more times and managed to get her.

She placed them on a plate with napkins over the other prepared slices to soak up the grease and keep them safe from any flies that might be buzzing about. She then checked the biscuits in the over, finding them to be a light golden brown, and took those out as well. She set them on a small cooling rack and poured the warmed gravy into a gravy dish she'd been shocked to find while she was cleaning the kitchen. Soul and Timp didn't seem like the type to pick up something like that, but, then again, she didn't really know much about them. With those tasks handled, she set to making the pancakes, pouring some batter into a second pan she had at the ready.

Meanwhile, crimson orbs watched her with lazy interest from beneath the comforter on the futon. It was the delightful tang of the bacon that had awoken him; the scent calling to him like some people claimed their soul mate's heart called to them. _'Now what is that girl doing this time?'_ He thought curiously, sneaking a little deeper into the blankets so he'd be harder to see, should she caution a glance his way. The last few days she had only made dinner, leaving he and Timp to fend for themselves in regards to breakfast and lunch. He had been figuring he'd be enjoying an afternoon bowl of Cocoa Puffs; instead, it seemed that if he got up now he'd get bacon.

He weighed his options; get more sleep but no bacon, or get bacon but less sleep. It was a true dilemma that was only solved when Maka lifted her head and spotted him staring at her from across the room. "Breakfast is almost ready, if you want to get up," She said calmly. He yanked the covers back over his head, which only made her stare at him covered form in disbelief. "I know you're awake in there, Soul Eater. Your eyes glow like Christmas lights when the living room light isn't on."

"Damnit," He whined quietly before poking his head so that he looked like a strange sort of caterpillar. He stared at her, suspicion obvious. "What do you want?"

"What do you mean?" She asked innocently, flipping a pancake over so that the other side could get turned the same light brown.

"You know what I mean. You want something, otherwise you wouldn't be acting so nice," He said while sitting up, legs crossed and the blanket draped over his shoulders. She looked at him as she removed the pancake from the pan, then she poured some more batter onto the hot surface to make another.

"I have work today and since you have to take me, I thought I should at least make it worth your while," She said evenly. Oh, right, he'd forgotten she mentioned having a job. And that said job involved dealing with children. "So I decided to make you breakfast since we have to leave around seven to get there on time."

"Are you serious?" He deadpanned, staring at her. He then scrubbed his face with his hands. "Why can't you just be a flakey spoiled brat like all the others?"

"Because I actually want to make something of myself, unlike those other girls. They probably just plan on finding a rich guy who will take care of them and all their needs, so that they won't have a care in the world! They still think fairy tales are real because they've never had reality bitch-slap them hard enough to give them whiplash," She hissed out venomously, glaring at the pancake and flipping it with more force than was necessary. This caught Soul's attention and he found himself smirking as she went on a tirade. "Those girls are just too stupid! Nobody ever made them work for what they had, made them have to see the darker side to the world, and it's going to suck for them later on! When they have to face the real world and see how very uneducated and underprepared they are, they'll become as bitter as the rest of the world… As bitter as me…" Her words trailed of toward the end, her enraged scowl shifting to a more dejected one.

"Well aren't you a jaded little snowflake? It's kind of refreshing, actually," He sneered at her, awarding himself with a glare.

"Don't make me regret being nice to you," She said, pointing her spatula at him accusingly. He laughed, getting up from the futon and popping his back.

"This is the first time in the four days since you've been here that you aren't totally pissing me off at the starting gate; consider yourself lucky," He said before yawning again. She shook his head and glanced briefly at the clock. "Would I have enough time to show before breakfast?"

"No. You take longer showers than me, and I'm a girl! You'll just have to either take a quick one after you eat or just wait until later," She snorted lightly, rolling her eyes at him. Were all demons as obsessed with their appearance or was this just him? He reminded her more of your typical teenage girl than she herself was.

"Later it is. Good thing my clothes are clean," He said before disappearing into the bathroom. Maka prepared their plates while he got himself ready and they ate in silence, neither one trying to say anything because they didn't really know what to say.

…

Giriko rolled his shoulders, shifting from foot to foot. He was not a fan of the build up to a fight; the anticipation bothered him. "What the Hell are we waiting for, Arachne?" He snarled lowly, glaring at her. She let out a small, calmly fanning herself.

"I told you before, Giriko. Lord Mosquito sent a few of his scouts out to see what they could find out about Miss Maka Albarn. We need to see if there are any places she would frequent that would be good places to pick her up from," She said levelly, snapping her fan shut with a loud click. She really loved her boys but sometimes they could wear on her rather generous nerves. Giriko could sometimes be too rude, too impatient, while Justin's constant religious rants and reciting of the prayers could be equally grating. If not for the fact the duo served all their purposes well she may have replaced them for better tempered models.

Then again, only good demons were free of being a bit rebellious, and never would she stoop so low as to work with a human-shielder.

This was part of the reason she had given both Justin and Giriko her order to get Maka Albarn by whatever means necessary; the fact that once respectable demons had flipped sides enraged her. They were her kin, after all. They should be helping her to collect the young girl to give to Mosquito! _'Then again,'_ She thought dully, ignoring how Giriko was currently tearing open the upholstery of the limo seats beside him, _'Cernunnos was always far too obedient to Masumi. And since that little bastard he's working under now is her son, it makes sense for him to flip; regardless of if he wants to or not. Not to mention, that boy has that male's blood in him too… It only makes sense he would defect eventually.'_ She thought, allowing herself to be comforted by her distain for the pair. For as much as she had always respected Timp, as he was called now, she would show him no mercy.

And his arrogance from a few days ago was still a bitter taste in her mouth.

The door of the car opened and Justin slipped in, holding out a folder to them. "It appears that she has a job, Lady Arachne," He stated in a calm tone of voice. She took the folder from him and flipped through, letting out a small giggle.

"How cute; she works at a daycare," She crooned. As much as she wanted to simply go there and let her boys tear into the joint, Lord Mosquito made it clear they not do that. The balance between demonic law and human law was delicate; while contracts signed between humans and demons would be respected, even if they went directly against human law, there would be punishments if anyone other than the individuals involved in the contract got involved. Killing young children indiscriminately would not fly so they would have to be more tactful than all that. "Well, it says she always works on Saturdays and Sundays from open to close, so we'll just have to wait until closing time. We'll go then and see if we can't persuade her to take a ride with us."

"Are you fucking serious? What are we supposed to do until then?" Giriko roared. Arachne let outa small chuckle and shook her head.

"Giriko, my dear, they are not the only clients whom have yet to give us our due. We have a few others in need of… Reminding that they are in debt to Lord Mosquito," She said simply, hoping that would work well enough at sating him for now.

He smirked, razor-like teeth glinting lightly. "Good. I need a work-out before I rip Eater's ass apart," He chuckled lightly. Justin muttered a soft prayer while Arachne told their driver where to go next.

…

It was taking a lot of will power on Maka's part not to laugh at Soul. Seeing him, sitting there, while all these little kids ran around him was hilarious. He wore this face that just screamed, "Get me the fuck out of here and fast!" One little girl was putting glitter pink clips in his hair while another was applying some rogue from a little make-up kit her parents bought her. One little boy was running in circles around him, letting out high-pitched wailing noises meant to imitate sirens; the toy fire truck he was driving having to be as realistic as he could make it, after all. They were currently preparing the kids for story time and nap time; meaning they needed to get them as worn out as possible. Most of the children were outside, playing on the playground equipment out there, and she peered outside to see how things were doing out there through a nearby window.

She could see Black*Star playing outside with most of the other kids, carrying one on his shoulders to help her make it across the monkey bars. Because he himself was a lot like an oversized child, Black*Star was really great with all the kids, and because he was also like the Energizer Bunny he was perfect for getting them prepped for Maka's story time, which would lull them into nap time. She cleared her throat lightly, earning her the attention of the three children still playing inside. "Okay, guys, how about you go outside and play with Big Brother Black*Star while Uncle Soul and I clean this all up? How does that sound?" She asked happily, leaning down toward the kids.

All three twittered and squealed, following her to the door. She let them out and watched as Black*Star howled excitedly, welcoming the trio to the join the rest of them, before quietly shutting the door and turning toward Soul. "You're breathtaking," She said, unsuccessfully fighting off snickers. The rouge stood out, the clips were just loud and attention-calling, and there was deep red lipstick smeared along his mouth as well. He looked like an oddly colored drag queen trying to impersonate The Joker. She lost it when he glared at her, the dark purple eye shadow the girls had managed to get on him making them seem all that much darker.

One hand clasped the nearby counter edge while the other embraced her stomach, uncontrollable laughter erupting from her. "You are just the worst kind of person, you know that?" He snarled, standing up from the red plastic chair the children had shoved him into. Maka looked at him, lip quivering, before she started howling again. "I thought I told you I wasn't going to deal with these kids! I'm just here to watch out for Giriko!" He mumbled angrily.

"Oh, calm down," She chuckled, walking around the counter and into the small kitchen area. She grabbed a paper towel, got it a little damp at the tap, and nodded her head for him to come in. "They're just kids and it's just fake-up." She wiped the wet paper towel across his cheek and held it up, revealing the reddish tinted smudge it left. He made a grunting noise and she resumed rubbing the stuff off. Close your eyes so I can get the eye shadow off." He did as she expected and she let an actual smile turn up on her lips. "Thanks, by the way."

"Hmm? For what?" He grumbled lightly. Maka tossed the soiled tissue away, got a clean one, and set to getting the other eye and cheek cleaned up.

"For humoring the kids. You may be a jackass to me but it's good to know that you can be nice to a bunch of innocent kids," She said gently. He cracked his clean eye at her as she trailed the wet paper towel from his second eye to work at the remaining the rouge. She was still smiling but she kept her eyes trained on her task.

"Aren't you just as innocent as them? You didn't choice this; your dad dragged you into it, after all," He pointed out. She paused and met his one open eye. "Then again those kids don't throw books at people when they same something they don't like or turn clothes pink over stupid little pranks. Maybe you earned being in this position."

For a moment Soul didn't know what to say or do, specifically because he wasn't expecting it. She smacked him on the cheek with the closed eye, after all, so how could he have anticipated it? He was also startled at how bad it actually hurt. "You really are a complete ass, aren't you?" She tossed the damp paper towel into the nearby trash can and swept past him, lips twisted in an angry scowl. "Finish getting it off on your own; I have more important things to do."

He rubbed his cheek and watched her, scrubbing a hand over her face as she walked toward the large green bookcase on the other side of the room, next to the window. She then dropped her arms, leaning against the large wooden structure, and watching the kids outside, arms shifted to wrap around herself in a loose embrace. He could tell she was rattled by his words, which he had sort of been expecting.

Even though he hadn't told her, he had overheard those words she had whispered to her father's picture. It was the chink in her carefully built armor, the weak link in the chain that could be used to give him the upper hand in any fight. She had this sense of incompleteness, of not being good enough to meet up to anyone else's standards, and he was planning to use it when the moment was right. _'So why use it against her now, when she wasn't even trying to pick a fight?'_ He wondered, not too sure why he'd said it. Then again, he was not good at dealing with girls like her; he was used to vapid, easily controlled girls whom would fall for his looks and demonic charm with a snap of his fingers.

This girl had a whip-tongue as quick as his own, with probably twice as much intellect to back her up. But that wasn't what got to him; no, he was used to people being smarter than him. It was just… Everything else. He didn't like people who put on a show, a bravado to keep others from knowing what they really felt or thought. He could tell by the way she acted with the kids that she was just as pure and sweet as her continued virginity implied. She had morals, had standards, and had high hopes for herself. She had hopes of living up to being some gold standard that would change her father to the man she needed him to be.

But does she say any of this? No, she just keeps it to herself and continues doing what she thinks will get her what she wants.

Soul was not like that in the least. If he thought something he was going to damn well voice his opinion (which was what had led to him getting smacked) and everyone around him would just have to deal with it. And though she called him a jackass there were other things she wanted to say, he could tell by the vicious glint in those deep emerald orbs of hers. She was trying to spare his feelings, though, by biting her tongue and using the same kind of vulgar language he preferred. It infuriated him to be looked down on by someone he barely knew; let alone someone he was being paid to protect. It sent the darker blood in him, the blood his mother had lovingly bestowed upon him, ablaze and made the elements of himself that were relatively tame much more dominant.

He wanted to break her down, demolish her, because there **actually was** something there to destroy. He wanted the satisfaction of being the one to leave her strong façade in shattered bits at her feet.

…

Maka sighed as she dropped the key to the daycare into the potted plant they had all agreed to hide it behind. Black*Star was standing beside her, yawning and stretching. She was pretty sure Soul had gone to get his bike, which he had been forced to park a block away, not that she cared. She was still pretty pissed at him for what he had said to her earlier. "So, any plans for the night?" She asked her friend, turning to him with a small smile.

"Yeah, actually. Tsubaki and I are going to meet up at the dinner three blocks over and grab a bite together," He grinned, rubbing the back of his head lightly. Maka shook back the slight sting of disappointment, keeping up her brace face. She'd been hoping he'd be free so he could come keep her company over at the apartment. She wasn't going to talk to Soul, Timp was busy with the contract, and being locked in her room all night left a lot to be desired. She kept up her brave face, however, and laughed.

"Shouldn't you at least do something with your hair, since it's kind of a date? It always looks like such a mess," She said, reaching over to smooth it out for him. He caught her wrist and looked at her defiantly.

"My hair is just as Godly as the rest of me; meaning it will fall into the perfect shape to please my lady friend," He said with a stubborn little nod. She grinned lightly and shook her head. "Are you going to be okay with that demon? I mean, I know you've been at their place for a few days already, but they haven't tried anything, have they?" Black*Star was rarely ever serious, nor did he normally seem to care about anyone but himself, and that was something Maka thought was pretty sad. He was actually a really nice guy once you got past the whole Surpassing-God thing.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, Black*Star. Timp's a businessman at heart and Soul… Well, Soul's an idiot but he wouldn't try anything on me," She said with a small smile. He still looked uncomfortable but she gave his shoulder a mock punch. "I already told you not to worry about me, remember? Anyway, is my Papa doing okay?"

"He's still going to work, and it seems that he isn't going out anymore," He shrugged. She let out a breath that she hadn't known she was holding. At least if her father wasn't out and about he couldn't suck her into any additional trouble. "Do you want me to walk you back to Shark Boy? I've got a little bit of time before I'm meeting with Tsubaki."

"It's fine. He'll be back in a second and you'll be late if you don't get a move on. Knowing you, and your sense of direction, you'll get lost on the way there somehow," She said calmly. Black*Star tugged one of her pigtails, a teasing scowl on his lips.

"You always forget that I am a God," He snickered before darting across the street. He waved one more time at her before he disappeared around the corner.

Maka sighed lightly, shifting through her purse to get a stick of gum out. "How very rude, to leave a lady unattended like that," She jumped at the unfamiliar voice, wheeling around and facing the unfamiliar man. He was wearing black and white robes, reminiscent of a pastor of some sort. She could see thin tufts of blonde hair under a small, flat white hat and twin ear buds in his ear. He held up a hand and chuckled lightly. "My apologies, I did not mean to frighten you."

"It's… Okay, sir," She said nervously, shifting toward the road slightly. She kept one of her hands on the strap of her purse, ready to delve inside for the weapon she always had tucked away for any emergency. It was seven o'clock meaning the sun was almost completely gone and not many people were still on the streets. If this guy tried anything before Soul got back, she was pretty sure she could scream and get help from someone. "Did you need something?"

"Yes, I just need you to come with me," He said, holding out his hand to her. She took another step back, disbelieving and suspicious. "Please, I'm a co-worker of your father's. Something terrible has happened and I was sent to find you."

"Papa? Is he okay?" She asked nervously, readjusting the strap of her purse. This guy didn't seem like a demon; no oddly colored hair, horns, sharp teeth, pointed ears or tail. So he had to be human, right? And if he was human, did that mean he was telling the truth? "Where is he?"

"It was car accident, on his way home," He said patiently, slowly making his way toward her. Her body tensed up, fear starting to grip at her. Maybe her father had actually caught on this time. Maybe he was so distraught over what he'd done, he hadn't been sleeping. Exhaustion leading to a car accident was not completely unheard of. She heard the soft growl of a motorcycle and turned to see Soul, sliding up next to them.

"Well hello Justin. It's good to see you again," Soul said with a smirk, leaning forward on the handle bars of his bike. Maka looked between the two, watching as the other male's eyes narrow in slight annoyance. "Maka, allow me to introduce you to Justin Law. He's an old friend of mine."

"Eater," He tipped his head before turning back to Maka. She was now watching his suspiciously, her body shifting closer toward the bike.

"Now then, Maka, shall we get a move on? If we dilly-dally too long than we'll make Timp angry, since we haven't had dinner yet," He said while sliding back a bit on the seat, patting the space he had vacated. She looked at him, baffled, but settled on like he had said. He then tipped his head at Justin. "Good seeing you again. Have a lovely night." And with that, he hit the clutch and started their path back toward the office.

"So is he a demon?" Maka called over the roar of the bike. Soul glanced down at her and laughed lightly.

"Who, Justin? Nah, he's just as human and stupid as you," He sneered. Maka retaliated with a harsh glare. "He was a religious nut that thought that the gates of Hell opening up was a sign from God, that humans should embrace their sins more readily. He's been following after Arachne ever since, playing as her own human pet bitch."

"And Arachne is who?" She asked.

"Arachne is the witch that Timp had to go talk to yesterday, to get the copy of your contract," Soul said, glancing over his shoulder briefly when he saw headlights. Ah, there they were! "She's the leader of the trio that is in charge of collecting you. Justin is the human they use to get most others to relax their guard and open up. And may I just say that I thought you were smarter than that? You should know better than to believe everything a stranger says just because they are human. How did you not get kidnapped as a child, being so gullible?" He snickered.

And that earned his an elbow in the side. "Not that we've gotten that out of the way," She seethed while he struggled to catch his breath, "what's up with the change in seating? Normally you have me sit behind you."

"Well, every relationship needs something fresh and new every now and then," He quipped sarcastically, glancing back at the car. My, that limo was much better at keeping up with him than he had thought it would be! "And I may need a little break from steering at some point, so you'll be much more useful if you just stay where you are. I'm going to have to give you some instructions and I want you to just follow them calmly, you hear?" He asked, revving up the engine and taking them to a higher speed. The limo let out a small roar of protest but copied his movement as well.

"Okay," She said with a gulp, peering back at the limo. She let out a small snort. "Really? They're going to give chase to **a fucking motorcycle** in a **limo**?" He couldn't help but chuckle at her response.

"Don't go saying things like that, Tiny Tits. You're going to make me start to think you're actually okay if you do," He said with a shake of her head.

"Oh, we wouldn't want that. You've set a golden standard in my book already be being an insufferable, mean-spirited misanthropist with a fetish for schoolgirls with airbags as boobs; why would we want to ruin that?" She mused lightly. Soul blinked a few times and glared at her slightly.

"You know, I only know what, like, half of that meant but I still feel like I should be insulted. Just for that I'm taking away the happy face sticker I put next to your name in my book," He said with a scowl. He was only further frustrated when she merely smirked proudly. He was about to say something else when the back wheel of the bike was tapped by the front bumper of the car, causing Soul to be forced to focus on his driving more. "Oh, lovely; they want to play bumper cars. Too bad that my baby is in a much different weight class than them."

Maka was glancing over his shoulder now while he tried to put some more distance between them. He glanced ahead, a uttering a small curse. They still had about five miles to go with only one lane of traffic, and very few cars were presently around them. There was no way to merge around and away, one of his preferred tactics when dealing with a confrontation on the road. "Hey, Soul? I'm no expert, but I'm going to guess that whatever that thing is, that's probably a Giriko, right?"

Crimson orbs swiveled around to see a far too familiar face riddled with piercings out an open window of the limo. "Well, it appears that you really are a quick study," Soul remarked to her calmly. He then grabbed her hands and put them on the handles of his bike. "So, tell me, what do you know about driving a beauty like this baby?"

"You focus on dealing with him and leave the driving to me," She said with a small smirk. He couldn't help but snort a little at the odd human anomaly seated in front of him. He then turned around, straddling the bike in reverse so his back was against Maka's. He glared at the still smirking mug that was climbing along the top of the car to get at him. Soul scooted farther up on the seat, keeping his right hand placed on the seat for support while he shook the other out in the wind.

It had been a while since the last time he'd gotten to actually make use of his offensive powers so he planned to make the most of it.

"Well, well! It seems that your little red friend wasn't kidding about you being a human shielder now!" Giriko laughed as he pounced from the roof to the hood of the car. The driver made a sharp exclamation on the inside, swerving a bit in surprise, but the male demon kept himself right. He lifted his left arm into the air and there was a faint, familiar glow to it. Soul took his own cue and focused his energy on his own arm as well.

It no longer burned like it had when he was a boy, learning for the first time how to force his bones and flesh to mold into the form of his blade of choice. Back then, the demonic flames that brewed deep in his blood stream that had to be forced to the forefront, the Hellfire that allowed him to use his weapon, would leave him burnt and bruised. This was mostly because he had never been particularly good at focusing back in those days; not that he was much better now, to be fair. However, after growing numb to the sensation of his arm going ablaze only to reform as cold and strong steel, it was something he almost sort of looked forward to.

It was the rarest of occurrences in his life, the last remaining link for the less dark days of his youth, from the times when his mother was an actual parent.

He smirked at the curved blade zigzagging between black and red that his arm had become. "Hope you're ready to lose this round, Giriko," He announced, eyes flashing alive with the thrill of the upcoming fight. The other's arm had changed as well, taking on the form of a screeching chainsaw.

"In your dreams, Evans!" The other howled, bringing his arm toward Soul's side. He quickly brought out his transformed arm to shield the blow, not even wincing at the small splinters of pain that came from the whirling metal conflicting with his unwavering own. "I'm going to send you to the grave with a lovely little X on your chest!"

"Jesus Christ," Soul heard Maka whisper softly, having looked back briefly at the sound of a chainsaw. He growled and threw Giriko's arm away from them, smacking his back into Maka's.

"Give this kitten some more juice!" He ordered. With a small grunt of approval, she nodded and did as he instructed. Giriko turned his own head, wagging his weaponized arm at the driver menacingly. Getting the message, he hit the gas yet again and bumped the back wheel of the bike again. Soul uttered a curse, having to actually stab the tip of his blade into the seat to keep himself from falling over from the force and vibrations of the two vehicles grinding against one another. "Any way you could pick up the pace a little?" He called at her angrily.

"It's not my fault that we're playing Bumper Cars on a small, one-way street against a vehicle significantly bigger than us! I'm doing the best I can!" She barked back, growing just as irate with him. Though she was doing her best to tune out the hoopla going on behind her, it was an uphill battle in every sense of the word. Their arms had turned into weapons, for heaven's sake!

Before Soul could snap another response at her, Giriko made his strike. He brought his whirling arm right into Soul's untransformed limp, forcing out a loud scream of agonizing pain. Maka glanced back and gasped, feeling the blood and bits of flesh splatter against her as well. Soul dislodged his weapon from the seat and shoved the other away, letting out swear after swear as blood gushed down from his newly torn arm. He glanced at his, groaning at the faint sight of the bone through the gore. Maka looked around, frantic to find a way out.

She glanced up, at the lane of traffic going to the other way. There was almost no one yet, but she could see a swarm of gold and white lights heading their way. And that was when it hit her, staring her right in the face. Why hadn't she thought of it before? It was a simple solution, really, but could have saved them a lot of time! Well, okay, it was simple and it was stupid and technically illegal. Then again, she wasn't too concerned with legality of her actions at the moment. "Soul! Turn your arm back to normal, turn around, and hold on tight!"

"Are you fucking crazy? I'm not getting turned further into mincemeat!" He snapped back, blocking another aimed blow from the laughing psychopath.

"Just do what I'm saying! I'm going to take a play from the book of Black*Star and if you don't you'll get turned into road kill!" Well, who was he to argue with that kind of logic? Then again, if she had a plan, he should let her at least try. It was better than what they were currently doing, floundering about and struggling like complete wimps. He turned his blade back into his arm, after giving a particularly rough backwards shove to Giriko that actually sent him back a little on the limo's hood. He then pressed as close to Maka as he could, putting as much distance between he and their attacker as possible.

The young woman fought off a blush at the closeness of their bodies and the tightness of his arm around her waist, giving the bike all the gas she could and steering roughly as if she aimed to do a U-turn.

Instead, however, the front wheel actually hopped up onto the cement trimming of the median and she was able to pull them right on to it. It was rough and jostled them around a bit, since the median consisted of gravel and pebbles, but she was able to cut into the opposite lane of traffic right before a huge swarm of vehicles arrived to swallow them up. Soul glanced back and saw Giriko screaming and swearing, ordering the driver to follow them, but the driver could not. A limo would have no luck in cutting across the median like the bike had; especially not that there was so much traffic. "How are you feeling?" Maka called worriedly, feeling the back of her shirt getting hot and sticky with his blood from where his bad arm was pressed into her.

"About as good as one can feel after arm wrestling with a chainsaw," He said tiredly, dropping his head onto her shoulder. If he kept looking up he was going to get dizzy from blood loss, he knew it. And since he'd been injured because of her, he figured letting him lean on her was the least she could do for him.

"We'll be back at the office soon," She called back, swallowing down the odd fluttering sensation in her belly. She tried yelling at herself that this was the same jackass she'd been dealing with the last week or so of time. At the same time, though, he was pretty badly hurt. And he had gotten that nasty injury in his efforts to protect her.

Her mind just conveniently left off the part that he was getting paid for his services.

…

When they got back to the apartment, she helped him into the bathroom. "Take off your jacket and shirt while I get everything. And keep your arm over the bathtub; it'll be easier to clean out the blood that way," She said calmly before turning and trotting off to her room. Being careful of his injuries, he peeled the articles off with only minor irritation to the blood gashes.

When she returned, carrying a small sewing kit, she blinked and stared at him, seated on the edge of the tub with one arm gushing blood like a broken pipe. "What?" He asked, tone more gruff than he intended it to be.

"That scar… Where did you get?" She asked, setting the kit on the bathroom counter and rummaging for the first aid supplies.

"None of your business," He said flatly, glaring at the opposing wall. But she didn't press him, like other people that saw the scar had. And he found himself grateful for that, and how she wasn't freaked out by the blood he'd gotten all over the both of them.

"You'll still need to see a professional, you know," She remarked, filling a basin with warm water and pouring it over his arm to clean away as much blood as she could. He hissed loudly, clenching the tub edge roughly with his good hand, but said nothing else. "And you owe me a new shirt, too."

"Whatever you say, Tiny Tits," He laughed lightly, shaking his head as she grabbed a towel and pressed it to the open wound. The rest of the treatment was silent, but not awkward or bitter like usual.

It was the most comfortable either of them had felt in quite a while, though both were loathe to admit it.

End

Notes:

Some more facts about the other name I gave Timp; Cernunnos is of Gaelic decent. The name was of a deity in traditional Celtic polytheism and the name was, in fact, that of the God of the hunt. Shout out of gratitude and adoration to Contaminated Angel, whom was kind enough to inform me of these facts. :3

I know very little about motorcycles so I did some internet research specifically on the bike I decided I wanted Soul to have. Although most of it went right over my head, I got some of it so I tried to make this as realistic as possible. If anything was inaccurate, however, I do apologize.

Next Chapter:

"I know that he is only ignoring me because you told him to, Timp," She cooed in that oh so alluring tone of hers. As things stood, however, the old red demon was quite a bit uncomfortable with it. Not because he didn't want her seducing him; no, it was more the fact that she was dragging those razor sharp nails of hers along his arm had enough to make little black dots of blood appear. "So choose your next move carefully. Because I am not above knocking down this little card castle you've built yourself. I have no farther to fall and would be more than happy for the company nyah."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I do own the plot.

Chapter Five

Timp examined the nasty gash Giriko had left on Soul's arm critically. "Well, the sutures aren't the best but they'll do. I still don't see why you didn't tell me three days ago, when this happened," He chided calmly, removing his reading glasses and pulling himself back toward his desk. He pulled out his address book and started shifting through for their medic's number. "I can assure you that you'll be the one handling anything that our dear friend has to say, mind you. Are you sure you even cleaned it properly?"

"Maka cleaned it and stitched it up so it'll be fine. Besides, it isn't bothering me or nothing," The albino demon shrugged, keeping up a cool façade. In all honest, their medic kind of gave him the creeps; being the best of the best or not. Timp quirked a brow at him then shook his head.

"Grammatically incorrect reassurances aside, it still needs the professional touch. Unless suddenly you trust that girl more than a trained specialist with a medical degree?" He asked, an undertone of sarcasm to his words. Ruby orbs darted away and the other could only stare, slack-jawed. "Oh my word, don't tell me you've developed a sore spot for her!" He declared frantically.

"I was impressed with the way she handled herself when I was fighting Giriko, okay? I just have a bit of respect for her ingenuity and ability to remain calm is all," He scoffed blandly. Timp responded by standing in his chair, rolling closer to the younger demon, and proceeding to bop him on the head with his address book. "What the Hell?" Soul whined lightly, rubbing his head lightly. It hadn't really hurt all that much, but the gesture itself bothered him.

"You are going to stop thinking like that this instant, Soul! She is a stupid human and that is all!" Timp snarled angrily. He waved his book about like it was a scepter or ruler of some sort as he spoke. "For the love of all that is unholy, I only let this go on this long because of the entertainment factor; I mean, how often does one get to watch their boss get knocked around like a ragdoll by a little human girl? But no, no, this whatever it is developing between you two must stop now! You are going to go out there and act like your usual douche bag self, so that things go back to the established norm for this place. Do you understand me?" That was what had tipped him off to something being wrong, in all honesty. The last few days Soul and Maka had been interacting with one another like civil young adults. Hell, Soul was only calling her rude, demeaning nicknames every now and then! And she was throwing objects with much less weight at him in retaliation, like pillows and apples!

This peacefulness would not stand; not as long as Timp was around to put a stop to it, anyway!

"Isn't this better, though?" Soul asked with a small sigh. He nodded his head toward the shut door. "I mean, aren't we also supposed to keep her calm and collected? Less fighting means less stress. Which means she'll be much more complainant and easier to lead around."

"You're making too much sense, Soul. Stop it," The other said, tone growing serious and somber. The other rolled his eyes while Timp returned to tracking down that number. "I'm going to call Medusa, she'll come put your arm back together, and then you're going to march around here like the big man on campus again." Thankfully, the conversation was put on hold until Timp's conversation with their on-call medicine woman was done. "There. Medusa will be heading over shortly, probably be here in about an hour because of a previous appointment she said."

"I don't see why you're getting so up in arms about this truce between me and Pigtails," The other male growled out, though he sounded more like a grumpy child than an enraged beast of Hell.

"Because history has this terrible tendency to repeat itself, Soul," The other said, turning back to face him. He lightly massaged his temples as he planned his further explanation. "I know you do not want me to say so, but you are much more like Masumi than you realize. And these similarities, dear boy, leave me worried over if your fate will be similar to hers."

"But I'm not my mother! I'm not as weak as she was!" He snapped back, real rage coming to the forefront. Timp rolled his eyes and hopped from his chair, heading over to the filing cabinet next to the window.

"You never think about what I am trying to say, do you? Listen carefully to what I am about to say, and hold all questions until the end," He made sure to sound calm, to sound refined and collected. Slipping into simple rage with Soul would get him nowhere. He opened one of the drawers and pulled out Maka's contract, tucking it under one arm. " You are predisposed to be attracted to a creature that is weaker than you and, as such, have a higher risk of imitating said behavior. On one side of your parentage, you've got a she-demon whom was drawn to a creature that she could never be truly compatible with. Your mother and father were basically polar opposites; your mother being the epitome of the wickedness of evil while your father was the epitome of the small sliver of kindness in all evil things. Your father was a human shielder in every sense of the word. He took pity on their weakness, on how much they needed we demons and their faith in God, in their weak minded need for a difference between good and evil. Between your mother and father, I fear you might romanticize this girl's need for your protection."

"That's bullshit," Soul laughed without missing a beat. He found it funny, really, sincerely comical. Timp's argument was in valid for one very good point. "This girl takes shit from no one and feels no fear! Why would I become infatuated with someone who doesn't act or show that she needs me?"

"Because you have ulterior motives," The other said back with just as much ease. He shook his head at the other, seeming a touch disappointed. "Soul, I have taught you everything you know about being a demon. I've taught you what is best for you to do, what to avoid, and what you should always be sketchy of. I know your favorite flavor of ice cream, your preferred sin to commit, the type of women you like to land in your bed and the type of humans you like to corrupt. Now, tell me honestly, do you really think I don't know that you plan to taint this young girl's innocent soul?" Soul's eyes widened before he looked away hurriedly. "Don't forget who it was that taught you everything you know, boy, and can read you better than you yourself can. There's a reason I'm considered one of the most powerful forces to be reckoned with; I have more experience dealing with the impulsive ones like you than you'd think."

The other opened his mouth to response and then closed it, eyes remaining fixed on the floor. "What do you want me to say, Timp?"

"I want you to say nothing, Soul, and simply do what I am telling you," He said evenly. He started toward the door and paused, hand on the doorknob, looking at the other with tired golden eyes. "I want you to just do as I instruct, just this once. Please believe me when I say that we'll be much safer if you just take my advice and let it shape your actions." He said with a small sigh, cutting through the living room without a word to assure that he would not be late for his appointment.

…

It had been an awfully long time since her last visit to Death City. Demons were not bound to specifically stay in Death City, despite it being the place where the portal to between their world and the mortal plan was, so she had decided to leave for a while. She had left five years ago in hopes of putting the past behind her, as best as she could, anyway. She understood that she had caused a great amount of grief and strife for the people she cared for that were still there.

She had tried to send postcards and letters, begging for forgiveness; they had all been returned without even being opened.

So, she had concluded that she was simply going to have to come back and be more active. _'If I am here I am sure that my little Scythey Boy will be more than willing to hear me out,'_ She had thought excitedly, her mind unable to try and reason away her high hopes. She had returned to her old home and her old haunts; she'd gotten back her old flat, gotten her old job at Chupa Cabra's back, and sent one of her Jack Jr.'s to let him know to expect her.

She was less than pleased with the response she got, of course.

But she knew that it was not Soul's fault. No, no, Soul had always loved Bu-Tan; always been a very nice, good boy for her. It was Timp, however, that posed a problem. He had never liked her or her style all that much; having a taste for women that were cruel but also upfront about their desire to only use their targets. Bu-Tan was not like that at all. She simply ran on instinct, doing what felt right when it felt right and not really facing up to the consequences or taking responsibility for her actions. He had probably put it in Soul's head that she should be avoided in light of what had happened all those years ago! And then there was that filthy little human girl! Who was she, anyway? Had her precious Scythey Boy really sunk so low as to seek out a human to help soothe the pains in his heart?

No, she could not stand by and keep herself separate from them any longer. She would not let Soul become something he was not! It was with this resolve that she had followed Timp into Backstreet Beat Down, a popular demonic restaurant where people of high class and esteem met to discuss business (and, more often, pleasure as well). She watched as he was settled into a booth in the far back of the restaurant, waiting until the waitress had left with his drink order to make her move. "Would you like a little company nyah~?" She purred lightly, tilting her head and letting her fingers lace together in front of her.

If his drink had already arrived, she was pretty sure he'd have started spitting it up when he realized it was her. "Blair? I thought you left town years ago," He said in a tense voice, one that was probably trying to be a forced polite. She smiled and slipped into the seat across from him, humming as the cool leather brushed against her exposed back.

"I did, but I felt something calling me back here. Like my presence was a necessity or something, you know?" She asked lightly, setting her folded hands on the table now. She glanced at the official looking documents he had set next to him, a touch startled at the sheer amount and thickness of the stack. That was much more than was necessary for a pleasure contract, the much she knew, so was it possible that he was taking on another apprentice? Or maybe buying a slave to help he, Soul and that human wrench? While she knew that the pair had started up a business of some sort, she did not now much other than that.

He followed her line of sight to the documents and cleared his throat, placing one hand atop the papers in an almost protective nature. "I do not know what you mean, but if you'd like, I can give you my card and we can prepare a proper reunion. Right now I have a very important meeting with Kid Death and I do not know how he'd feel about the extra company," He said, choosing his words well and keeping his tone breezy. If conversation with Soul was like trying to waltz with an unsteady partner, than conversations with Miss Blair were like trying to waltz on a mine field riddled with lives bombs while your partner was heavily intoxicated and trying to fling themselves about everywhere; it would take a great deal of luck and a great deal of skill.

"Oh, Little Stripes graduated? I did not know; no one sent me an invitation to the ceremonies," She remarked, eyes flashing with a hint of rage.

"He held a small ceremony, but it was family only. Not even Soul and I were permitted to attend," He lied smoothly. In all honesty, Blair had not been invited because at the time Soul's bitterness toward her had been at a peak Timp had never seen. Never before had he seen his young apprentice so enraged with one he once loved; even now, the indigo haired woman was a subject they did not bring up, no matter what.

"I know you don't like me but don't insult me," She ground out evenly, eyes flashing yet again. Damn, this woman had always been much smarter than she let on. Then again, she was a cat demon so it only made sense. "I only came here because Soul ignored my last attempt to contact him. He had a sort of response that I would not expect of him, given our history."

"Well, things were very messy back when you left, Blair," He said with that same calculated calm. She let out a little giggle now, the malice and rage in her eyes fading so something that had a sickening sweetness to it. She reached across the table and placed one hand on his arm that rested on the contract, her fingers wrapping just below the elbow.

"I know that he is only ignoring me because you told him to, Timp," She cooed in that oh so alluring tone of hers. As things stood, however, the old red demon was quite a bit uncomfortable with it. Not because he didn't want her seducing him; no, it was more the fact that she was dragging those razor sharp nails of hers along his arm hard enough to make little black dots of blood appear. "So choose your next move carefully. Because I am not above knocking down this little card castle you've built yourself. I have no farther to fall and would be more than happy for the company nyah."

"Yes, I have to agree with you," He said, his patience with the world wearing thin. Between the ease with which Soul and Maka were warming up to one another and this bombshell coming, threatening to end their current endeavors in a nuclear eruption just like the last time, he couldn't help but feel that he was really too old to be dealing with this shit; and he had decided that he was too old to be dealing with this shit over a century ago! "Considering you were sleeping with two brothers, leading them both on, as well as sleeping with another third party that would later succeed in killing one and seriously injuring the other, I can't help but agree with you. Even for a demon, that is a pretty low point to reach."

She was stricken, eyes widening and fingers releasing him. Tears welled in her eyes and her lower lip trembled. "I-You- He! I never meant for that to happen! I didn't know that Giriko would snap like that!" She shrieked, flinging her arms around herself as the tears spilled over. Making a beautiful young lady had not been on Timp list of things to do for the day but it appeared it was a necessary evil. He did not like her turning him into her personal scratching post when he'd done nothing wrong. "And it was just casual sex! I didn't know… I thought he understood that!"

"Am I interrupting something, Imp?" The monotonous baritone of a newcomer asked, reminding Timp of what he had actually come here for. The young man was as put together as ever, wearing his crisp black suit with the skull-shaped clip covering the knot of his tie. What startled the old demon, however, was that two of the three white stripes that went through the others hair were no longer half-lines. Part of being a death God, or Shinigami, as Kid Death was, was that your power was earned from your parent. As your skills and powers grew, your parent lost theirs and would eventually fade completely. Like most other demons, the young Shinigami would then absorb their late parents' soul and gain all their powers. The last time he had seen Kid, he only had one line connected. Now, however, it seemed he'd be reaching his full potential soon.

This meant he probably would not be playing as a lawyer for that much longer, as well.

Blair looked up suddenly, still sobbing and shaking, and suddenly Kid seemed to recognize her. Before any words could be exchanged, though, she was out of the booth and storming her way out of the restaurant, still sniffling and shaking. "Don't ask me to explain, my friend, because even I am unsure of why she has turned up," The horned male said as Kid turned to face him.

"My father always said you were heartbreaker when you were younger," The other answered as he slipped into the vacated spot, "but I was not sure if you'd continue playing that angle now. I mean, you are getting close to the age where producing a child will be impossible. Don't you think you should find a nice she-demon and settle down?"

"In the words of you youngsters; yolo (1)," He said with a small chuckle. He glanced up at the slightly disgusted expression this remark got him. "What?"

"Sometimes I don't know if Eater is a bad influence on you, or if you are the one driving him mad," The other said, shaking his head. Kid could sympathize with Soul, though, if it was simply Timp saying these things on his own accord. How many times had his father said things he had no right saying at his age, to try and seem cool to his young son? The most embarrassing to date was probably the time he called Elizabeth, Kid's wife, a "Hot piece of tail", back when the two started dating.

To this day, Liz would still laugh whenever the word "tail" was said around her.

"Anyway, on to business," Timp said, clearing his throat and offering the other the contract. It was at this time the waitress finally returned with his drink; a sangria. Suddenly Timp was very grateful that he had decided to get something with alcohol in it, as opposed to the tea he had thought might me better. "Thank you, dear. And for you, Kid? Your drink is on me."

"Just a cup of coffee with a little honey will do," He said, flashing the waitress a smile. She blushed, seeming ready to say something, when she noticed the golden wedding band on his finger. Her smile turned a bit tense, and she turned to leave. "So, what loophole do you need me to verify?"

"That's the problem; I can't find one," Matching sets of gold eyes locked, one set alarmed and the other frustrated. The legal proceedings were always the hardest part, since it required going to court and settling things there. That was the primary reason that they needed to take in their clients for a minimum of six months; the legal system was always very messy and took a lot of time. And that was assuming that Timp was able to find a loophole early on. "I've tried shifting through every element of this contract, but Mosquito is clearly doing his best to cover all his bases."

"So we are dealing with Mosquito," Kid said, thumbing through a few pages and perking up. There were a few highlighted passages. "And this parts?"

"They're parts that I found to be particularly uncomfortable," The other took a sip of his drink, clearing his throat and shifting. All demons were different, much like humans, and had different preferences when it came to how they liked their sex. For Timp, whom was a classy gentleman at heart, believed first and foremost that the woman should be a willing participant. "I mean, I knew that Mosquito's tiny brain has been riddled with disease since he went mad with power but I had no idea it was like that."

Kid quirked an eyebrow before his eyes flickered down to the parts in bright yellow marker. "The person enlisted as the toy in this contract will have to play by all the rules for the duration of the game; meaning the entire 24-hour period after the toy is delivered," He mumbled quietly. The other took another gulp of his drink and thanked the stars that no one was sitting close enough to overhear them. "The rules of the games must be followed at all times; meaning that there will be penalties. The rules will be divulged at the start of the round, but there are penalties that must be addressed now. Begging and crying will not be allowed; this will earn the subject the added modification of blood play to their game. The use of drugs and other stimulants are a must as well, and disobedience of this rule will also require a little bit of blood to be shed. Should the toy ever say the name of another individual or if they turn out to not have an intact hymen, the resulting punishment will be a slow, drawn-out death. Before signing this contract, be aware that the toy you offer up cannot be a secondhand or used model; it must be clean and unsoiled."

"Yes, and that is only one part. There are actually diagrams on some pages with a few of the punishments for breaking the rules," The other said, shuddering a bit as the waitress returned with Kid's coffee and a small dish with some honey in it. A quick thank you was muttered before the other poured some of the sweet gold nectar into the dark brew and began stirring it thoroughly. "The contract expresses no other rules of the game, so I'm assuming that he has different rules for different personalities. I find this to be rather sick, though. I mean, everybody has their kinks and that is fine. No disrespect if what he likes gets you off, but to want to play these things out on a human virgin? That is where I find myself unable to think about it."

"I don't fault you for that at all," Kid agreed, looking at the papers again. He let out another sigh and shook his head. "Well, I guess we'll have to pour a lot more effort into this case, huh?" He asked before taking a sip of his drink.

And, much to Timp's chagrin, he took this as a sign that Maka Albarn would be in their company for quite some time.

…

Medusa Gorgon was an interesting woman, at least to Maka. The other waltzed into the apartment without so much as knocking, wearing a white lab coat over a black dress, and her bangs twisted together in a hay colored braid in front of her. Behind her marched a purple haired individual, whose gender Maka could not be certain of, in a strange black dress-like outfit, carrying a black leather medic's bag. "Oh, Soul Eater, where are you?" She sang lightly, not seeming to notice the young woman parked with a book on the futon.

Soul had been getting a glass of water in the kitchen; sensing his impending doom, however, he had ducked down so that he was not visible from the living room.

"Um, hello," Maka said uncertainly, awarding her with the attention of both the newcomers. The older woman seemed startled by the pigtailed young human's presence in the tiny abode. "You must be Doctor Gorgon, correct? Soul mentioned you'd be coming by."

The other seemed to shake off her momentary shock and smiled warmly, walking closer and offering her hand. "Ah, hello. And you are?"

"Maka Albarn," She said, taking the other's hand and exchanging a quick hand shake. She then cleared her throat and peered past the other woman, nodding her head toward the kitchen. "I'm afraid I don't know where Soul scampered off to. He went and hid while I was getting my book from my room." She said casually, continuing to nod her head toward the kitchen as she spoke.

The witch couldn't help but smirk at this; oh, she liked this girl already!

"Well, that's fine," Medusa hummed while snapping her fingers. Her bag suddenly levitated from her young companion's hands and floated over to the table, while it slowly dropped to. "You see, I have a special spell that will hone on his power reading and bring him to me." She flicked her wrist then, a ball of crackling black and gold energy beginning to form in her palm. "Snake, snakes, snake, snakes." She chanted softly before throwing the orb to the ground.

It writhed briefly before taking the form of a snake and heading straight to the kitchen. There was a hiss and an alarmed cry from Soul before the beast came slithering back. Its tail had gotten much longer and larger, for the snake had ensnared the shark-toothed male in it and was dragging him along the carpet to the front room. Maka let out a snort, covering her mouth with one hand. "Damnit, Medusa, I'm not a little kid anymore!" He bellowed angrily as the snake dropped him onto the futon next to Maka and then released him. He righted himself, scowling at the energy beast as he straightened himself out.

"Well, if you are going to act like a child than I shall treat you like one," She remarked, taking the few steps over so that she was standing in front of him, her bag shifting on its own so that it was next to her. She shifted, moving to sit down, and the snake followed. Its tail changed shape so that it resembled a chair and she settled in, clearing her throat. "I've been your medical caretaker since the day you were born, yet you always run when you know I am coming. I have never done anything to hurt you, have I?" She asked innocently, opening her bag and beginning to rummage through.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I seem to remember a certain someone installing a tracking chip in my arm against my wishes when I was seven," He ground out.

"Oh, please. Your father asked me to do that, and I wasn't about to say no to an old friend," She scoffed. She pulled out a scalpel, a needle, a ball of surgical suture thread, a pair of slim silver scissors, a syringe, an unlabelled jar, antiseptic and some medical swabs. "Besides, you kept wandering off the family manor. Your father just wanted to be sure you were safe."

"Of course I was always wandering around; **I was seven**! And most normal boys go exploring; you know, that thing you never let Chrona do," He scoffed, nodding his head toward the fidgety one still hovering by the door.

The other jumped and released a small peeping noise at the use of his name. "W-What? I-I-I didn't do anything!" He protested frantically, eyes wide with horror.

"I know you didn't, darling. Just ignore Soul; he's being an ass like usual," Medusa cooed, flashing a reassuring glance the young man's way. He fell into quiet mutters, looking down at his feet uneasily. "Now, Eater, let me see this arm injury that Timp was raving about."

"It's not that bad," Soul said as he started to lift his shirt, "and I already had Tiny Tits here look at it." While his arms were trapped by his shirt, Maka slapped him right in the stomach. He let out a wheezy breath, finally getting the shirt the rest of the way off. "The Hell?" He hissed at her.

"I told you to stop calling me that," She grumbled, glaring at him back.

"You tell me to stop calling you a lot of things but does that seem to stop me?" He asked back with a sweet smile. Maka eyed him for a moment, weighing her options, before she bitch-slapped him with her book. She then rose from the couch, dusting off her skirt and tucking her book under her arm.

"I don't know what your problem is, but you've been treating me the way you did when I first came here and I don't appreciate it. Either get your things sorted out or don't expect me to talk to you," She said flatly, not even looking at him. The last few days with the sort of light banter and teasing had kind of been nice; it reminded Maka of when she and Black*Star spent time together but it somehow meant a little more. But all day he'd been making remarks that were even more mean-spirited than when they first met. She wasn't sure if demons were bi-polar or what, but she was not going to have any of it. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Gorgon." Her voice was polite and she slapped on a smile before she retreated to her room, leaving them with the rattle of her door being shut with more gusto than necessary.

"Oh, my, she's slamming doors. You must have said some really terrible things to her before I got here," Medusa commented while taking his injured arm. She examined the sutures Maka had done before and was startled that they were pretty good. If the other had used real surgical thread, the witch's treatment probably wouldn't be necessary. She picked up the syringe, opened the unlabelled jar, and filled the needle with it.

"Nah, she just has a really short fuse," Soul shrugged. He wasn't about to admit to Medusa that he'd taken a few blow-the-belt hits at the sandy haired girl he was assigned to protect. After all, she was a lot like his father; she'd certainly not approve of him telling a girl that she'd probably end up a shriveled up old shrew with a ton of cats if she didn't do something about her temper.

"I somehow doubt that is the only reason," She tutted while stabbing the needle into his shoulder.

"Could you warn a guy before you go stabbing him like that?" He yelped, glaring as she emptied the contents into him.

She merely chuckled as she took the needle back and returned it to her bag. "I think you'll live, big boy. And if you're still sore about it when I'm done, I'll let you have a sticker and a lollipop," She teased lightly, pulling out a small bandage and placing it over the pinprick from where she'd stuck him. He grumbled lowly while she got the rest of her equipment ready, wanting to be prepared once the numbing agent started doing its job. "So, how are you and Timp doing?"

"Okay, I guess. We've got this whole bodyguard business going and we're making some good cash out of it," He shrugged, noticing that his right arm was starting to feel a little heavy. She seemed to pick up on it, as she took his right hand and forced his arm to extend, picking up the tiny scissors with her other hand and setting to work. "Blair's back in town, though. She sent one of her little Lantern things here to see me." Once she had removed the stitches Maka had done, she carefully cleaned the area in preparation of what she would be doing.

"Oh? You should call your father and ask him what he thinks about it all," She remarked. He made a noise of displeasure and she glared at him. "Your father is a Reader, Soul; he can see into the future, if only a little bit. He would be able to assure you if you should be weary of Blair's return or not."

"As long as I keep her out of my life I'll be fine," He scoffed, glaring off to the side as Medusa set to the real mission of stitching his arm back into one piece. This was just one reason he didn't like dealing with her; she always had to shove her nose into his business. Just because Medusa was a family friend didn't mean she had all the answers and was always right. "I don't want anything to do with my father; not after what happened to Wes and my mother."

"Your father wasn't the one stringing you all along, Soul," She pointed out, keeping her eyes focused on her work. She had learned how to hold up conversation while keeping up the high quality of her work at the same time over the years. "What did you expect him to do? It wasn't his place to get involved."

"It was! Wes and Ma are dead because he didn't step into help us! Maybe if he had than they'd still be alive!" Soul snapped back, turning his glare on the witch before him.

She glared up at him, bronze orbs glinting in her annoyance. "You are such a contradictory boy, Soul Evans. One minute you chastise your father for falling in love with you mother and having a family with her, given that they were very different classes of demons," She said coldly, not looking away from his gaze. At the same time, however, her hands continued their work on his arm, not making a single misstep. "You always say that he should have just left, so that things wouldn't have been as messy as they were in your childhood. And you know what? He did exactly that! He left you and Wes and Masumi to your own devices, not tried to fight for custody or teach either of you how to be a Reader like he. It killed him but he gave the two of you up for your own good. And yet now you say swears against him because he did not prevent something he did not foresee, something he knew nothing about? You can't have it both ways, Soul. Your parents are your parents; through the good and the bad. You cannot simply have him be a supportive father when it is most convenient for you."

Soul was silent, taking in her words, before he blinked. "Wait… Did you say that he did not foresee it? How is that possible? He's always been able to foresee it when I was about to screw up royally!" He protested.

"I do not know, Soul," She said calmly, picking up the scissors and snipping the thread. He glanced down to see she was already done with the stitching. She then set to cleaning the area with the antiseptic again. "I just know what William has told me. Until I told him that you would survive he did not even know anything had happened way back when. He was, of course, horrified when I told him everything, but he did not seem too perturbed that he did not see it coming. I've tried asking him many a time since then about his sight, but he refuses to answer. You might be able to get some answers out of him, but that is all I can say about it."

Soul sighed and stared out the sliding glass door at the sky of the city. When had things become so complicated in his life again?

End

(1) Yolo, for those of you who don't know, is a hip new saying that means "You only live once". I have no idea why it isn't spelt with periods between the letters, but every time I've seen it printed it isn't. I also don't see why it's so popular, but that's just me.

Notes:

You were all missing out on Timp so I put more of him in here. Plus I love Timp just as much as you guys, and I think I always will. He's just so much fun to write. Also, get used to Medusa; she's going to be running things in this like a boss. :3

Also, I've decided to put my tumblr to use; I'll be accepting requests on one-shots or things you'd like me to rant about. Back when I was in high school, if something I was passionate got brought up, I'd go on these long winded tirades about them which my friends and I called "Piyoko Rants"; as such, I've decided I;'' be doing those again. Also, I decided to open myself up to the one-shots because sometimes writing short stories helps keep me energized. Everything is explained more in depth on my tumblr, so you can see how it'll go down there. :3

Next Chapter:

Soul took in a deep breath, trying to remind himself that he was okay. "Yeah, you always did say that humans weren't as pathetic as Ma claimed," He said calmly. He then turned to meet those all too familiar blue eyes. "But I think that's only because you're a human-shielder, huh, Father?"


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I do own the plot.

Chapter Six

"She's **still** not talking to me," There was a whine to his voice that the other did not like. Hadn't they weaned him off this behavior when he was still a child?

"Well, you probably shouldn't have called her father a whore and her mother a flighty bitch, hm?" Timp sighed, flipping to the next page of the contract. He and Kid were pouring over the damn thing in the lobby of their office while Elizabeth prepared some tea for her husband. Soul had come stomping down a moment ago, slumped into the seat next to Timp, and then made his big declaration. "Her father may be the reason that we are currently stuck dealing with her, but I do not believe that Ms. Albarn appreciates you rubbing that fact in her face. Or that her mother left her to deal with it on her own." Nope, this page was just another warning that if the toy offered up was not a virgin there would be penalties for all involved. "It's your own fault, though. You should not go hitting below the belt."

"**You're** the one who told me to keep being an ass to her!" Soul snapped back, glaring at the other. This earned them both Kid and Elizabeth's attention, the duo wearing matching masks of slight alarm and disapproval.

Timp cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly in his seat. "I said to not get attached to her, Soul; I never said to turn her into a hermit," He said smoothly. He could already tell, by one glance at their secretary, that she was about to have words with him.

"Mr. Imp, if I may," She said while sliding into the seat beside Kid. She set Kid's tea down in front of him, giving him a quick peck, before turning her piercing cerulean gaze back to the old demon. "You should not go interfering in Soul's affairs. He may be your apprentice but that does not mean that he has to be exactly like you."

"I am not trying to make him like me, my dear," He said patiently, though he was getting rather tired with this all. Between being unable to find any loopholes in the contract, watching Soul struggle between doing what he wanted and doing what was expected of him, having to work on a day he really did not feel like doing so, and **having his fucking car blown up three days ago** by Arachne and her little click, he was not in the highest of spirits. The last thing he wanted was to be lectured at by a Thin Blood urchin like Kid Death's wife. "I am trying to advise him to go against the things he has told me he does not want to become."

"Which basically means being anything like William, right?" She asked bluntly, causing Kid to make a small groaning noise in the back of his throat. Gold and ruby eyes both narrowed but she did not waver. In fact, their response actually egged her on further. She crossed her arms over her chest and sat up a little straighter. "I still don't see why you hold such a grudge. The last time I checked, it wasn't William that was banging Soul, Wes, and who knows how many other guys to see which one would offer up the best prizes. It wasn't William that introduced Soul to Blair, thinking she was the picture perfect epitome of a purely bad demoness. It wasn't William that used to fling Soul around like a rag doll to teach him to be assertive."

"Elizabeth, darling, please st-!" The soon-to-be Shinigami let out a very unbecoming squeak when his wife's heated gaze shifted to him mid-protest.

"Kid, sweetheart, I love you to pieces but if you tell me to be quiet I will raise my pimpette hand strong to remind you of your place. Do you want that?" All he could muster was a meek shake of his head. "That's what I thought. Now go back to looking through the contract while I deal with the morons." She pinned the two snarling male's with her glare again. And Kid, knowing he was not going to be able to stop the hurricane that was his wife from verbally beating the shit out of the other two, decided to resume dedicating his focus to the contract. "You have no reason to be so bitter toward your father, Soul, and you know it. Mr. Evans only ever did what he thought was best for you and Wesley."

"Oh yes, leaving us with our mother – whom you just called abusive – was definitely in our best interests. Finest example in perfect parenting, if I do say so myself," The shark-toothed male quipped sarcastically. He then jerked his head towards Timp. "You can say his reasons are stupid, though. He's just bitter over the fact that my Ma boinked my father instead of him."

"You are such a vile young man sometimes, you know that?" The older growled, glaring up at Soul. The other merely smirked and shrugged lightly.

"You're just pissed because you know it's the truth," The younger retorted while rolling his eyes. Liz cleared her throat, turning attention back to her. "Oh, and you're an idiot who knows jack shit about my family. You just think that because you are married to Kid, whom I have known since we were shitting ourselves, you are automatically entitled to have an opinion when you don't know everything. But what else is new?"

Liz growled then stood up, storming over to her desk. Soul smirked, basking in victory. Timp and Kid watched as the blonde rummaged through one of the larger drawers on her desk in search of some mystery item. She seemed to find it and returned, holding the item out toward Soul. "I don't need Kid to tell me this or that; I have plenty of evidence that proves I'm right. I'm just saying your father must have had a reason; this doesn't look like the face of a man whom would just up and leave his sons," She said, pressing the item closer to him. Soul glanced at it and his smirk took a nose dive into an uncomfortable grimace.

The other had presented him a picture from when he was a kid and gone on a fishing trip with his father and brother. The picture was taken by Wes and showed Soul being taught the proper way to cast his line. "What does one picture prove?"

"Oh, I have more than just one. I've got, like, two photo albums full of pictures like this one. Want me to bust them out?" She asked smugly.

"Where did you get those, exactly?" Timp chimed in, brow raised in confusion.

"The boxes of things that used to be Masumi's. You two forgot that you left she and Wesley's things boxed up in the supply closet down here, didn't you?" She asked, turning her attention to him briefly. She then returned to her seat beside Kid and waved a hand at Soul. "Anyway, are you going to take Maka with you?"

"Take her with me where?" He asked flatly, crushing the photo in his fist and shoving it into the pocket of his jacket.

"To place flowers at their graves, obviously,"

Soul was silent for a moment before his eyes found the calendar on the wall across from his line of sight. Ah, he really had lost track of time, hadn't he? Maka's books and impeccable aim must have been doing more damage than he thought. "Oh, right. Wow, six years already… I can't really believe it's been that long," He said vacantly, eyes still glued on the calendar as he spoke. Elizabeth sighed now, deciding she'd yell at him more for being an idiot later.

"I already called ahead to the florist and had the usual arrangements prepared. So, are you taking her with you or not?" She asked again.

"She can stay here with you guys," He said, rising from his seat and starting to head toward the stairs. He needed to grab his keys and jacket if he was going to go out.

"Actually, Kid and Timp were planning to go to the office and talk with Sid about this contract. There's no signs of an obvious loophole so they want to see if there's another tactic they can use," The only female among them chimed in. She then grinned lightly at Soul. "Or you can leave her here with me. Alone. She and I can have some female bonding; you know, gossip and do our hair, and gossip, and paint each other's nails and by gossip I mean I will reveal to her your every fear and weakness so that she can exploit it and-!"

"I get it, Liz, I get it!" He snapped, glaring at her with a shudder. The thought of Maka knowing any of his uncool, irrational fears was just absolutely horrible. "I'll take her with me but only because it's certain doom if I don't!" He growled lowly before stomping his way up the stairs, grumbling about nosy chicks on his way up.

"You're planning something, aren't you?" Timp asked suspiciously, glaring at the pretty young woman.

She smiled sweetly. "Who, me? I have nothing to hide, Timp~!" She mused happily, turning her attention to her nails. She then looked horrified. "Ah, man, the paint's starting to chip! Oh well; guess it's time to erase and try something new." She said calmly while rising again and heading toward her desk in search of her nail polish remover.

The red demon sent a glance the young Shinigami's way, but the young man merely shrugged. He didn't exactly know how to explain his wife's behavior, either, and wasn't about to try.

…

"So, you ever been on a train before?"

"…"

"You don't seem like the type to like trains, to be honest. Then again, if this was your first time on a train, you'd probably be more inclined to **put the book down**,"

"…"

"Is this about the whole Insulting-Your-Parents thing still? Because that was, like, what? Three days ago? Shouldn't you just get over it by now?"

"May I ask you a serious question, Soul Eater?" She was speaking again; sure, she had added on his last name, a universal sign to all men that they were in deep shit… But still! Progress! Soul stared with wide eyes as she set her book in her lap, her thumb resting snuggly between the covers to hold her place.

"Depends on what it involves. I am not going to discuss the scar on my chest, why I wear headbands or what I did in college without some kind of reward," He said calmly. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, not finding his attempt at a witty response very comical. "So if it has nothing to do with those three subjects, than fire away."

"Did you **honestly** not expect me to be pissed off further than I already was when you suddenly flung open my door, threw me over your shoulder, told me 'To not bother screaming because God would not offer me a savior', forced me on to your bike and then shoved me on to a train that travels between Death City and Hell?" Her tone was blunt, matter of fact, and for some reason it just made him feel like an idiot.

That plan was the best he could come up with, since he knew she wasn't going to talk to him, after all!

"And what would your response be if the answer was yes…?"

"… Okay, I think the stupidity of you just gave me cancer. Do you see what you do, being a cancerous glob of **uselessness**, just sitting there? I'm going back to the sanctuary of my book now, thanks," And then she was opening it again. Think fast, Eater! Say something to make her talk to you, or else this two hour train ride is going to be as much fun as it **usually** is with Timp!

"I'm sorry," He blurted out before really thinking about it. She paused and looked up at him, suspicious but appearing willing to hear him out. "Look, I'm… Sorry, I guess, for what I said about your parents. It wasn't cool to say something like that and expect you to not get offended and defensive." He had shifted his gaze away while he spoke, eyes flickering here and there about the room. When he looked back over at her she was staring at him expectantly, as if she expected more from him. "And if I really did give you cancer I'll pay for your treatment and junk."

That got a giggle and a head-shake out of her; that was a good sign, right? "You're not really comfortable with apologizing, are you? And, I guess, I'm sorry for throwing stuff at you all the time. I'll try to get better about that," She offered up, seeming to think his actions deserved some sort of reward and penance from her as well. He raised an eyebrow.

"Try to get better as in not doing it at all?" He asked slyly, waggling an eyebrow at her. She responded by snorting and swatting his shoulder lightly.

"As in I will only hit you when you do something excessively stupid. Like looking up my skirt," She said blandly. Soul grinned lightly, leaning forward and poking her in the nose.

"So you admit that throwing the **whole** box of books at me was excessive force?"

"I admit to nothing; I will always be right when I use brute force against you," She said with a small teasing smirk. Soul had to admit that he missed this light, carefree and relatively harmless banter that Timp had pretty much forbid. It was nice to be able to talk to with a chick that could have witty verbal bouts with him. "Anyway, where exactly are we going? You never offered that information up to me."

He blinked a bit then looked off to the side. "Do I have to?" He asked calmly.

"You don't have to tell me, I guess… Just understand that I'll be annoyed and more inclined to turn my attention back to my book," She said, holding it up and waving it in the air a little bit.

"Ugh, fine. We're going to go visit my Ma and brother," He huffed lightly, glaring off to the side.

"Has it been a while or something? Normally you don't take flowers to a casual visit," She pointed out, indicating the two bouquets resting on Soul's other side. She had originally been seated across from him but he apparently didn't like that idea and instead slid in beside her.

"Well, typically it's considered polite to take flowers to a grave," He snarled back, tone harsher than he intended. She flinched at his tone and then he felt bad, muttering a small apology under his throat. He decided that the fault for this fell to Timp, Medusa and Liz respectively. Timp kept saying how Maka was the perfect mixture to appeal to Soul's genetic make-up and told him not to get attached. The snowy haired male had this terrible trend of not taking his mentor's words to heart. Medusa was the one who put the thought in his head that he should be more open to his father and, as such, this opened up a bunch of queries about what being a Reader could be like. Being not particularly evil or good, being an odd anomaly of neutrality, and being able to see some of what he'd have coming his way could all be bonuses. And Liz… What was she thinking, forcing him to bring her along? Bringing Maka would force him to talk a little bit about his past; something he didn't want her to know about.

He was just planning to get money to protect her from getting turned into a sex slave, destroy everything that made her who she was, and then bask in watching her standing in the crumbled remains of her pride before he sent her back to her father.

"I'm sorry. I… I've never lost a loved one so I don't know how you must feel," Her tone had grown softer but it wasn't drenched in sadness for him, and he was unnerved by his own feelings at this fact. Normally when people heard this they always took pity on them, saying how they understood. And how dare they? How dare they claim to know how the fuck he feels when they never knew the full story?

But this one mortal… This one stubborn, book-smart, violent, young human girl didn't claim that. She downright admitted she didn't know how he felt. Her voice didn't ripple and waver with pity, or empathy, or sympathy. Her emotions were, to him, much more sincere and genuine in her ignorance than most people were even if they had lost a loved one to murder like him. She wasn't going to pretend around him, though, and he was stunned at how good the recognition of that fact felt.

She wasn't going to coddle him like she did the kids at the daycare; and, honestly, he really liked the thought of **not** being pampered to in this one instance.

"Thanks, or whatever," He mumbled lightly, not really sure what else to see. He really was grateful but to express that gratitude… Well, that was not his style.

She seemed to recognize his discomfort and decided to try and help him out a little. "So, read any good books lately?" She asked calmly.

"Only nerds with no social lives read," He scoffed flatly.

"Oh, so are you illiterate?" She asked smugly. He glared at her and then scoffed lightly. "You know, you should check out this series I'm reading. You might like it, if you gave it a chance. Plus it would be interesting to see what you think of their portrayal of demons."

"Bah! You humans never have it right! You just always assume we demons are wicked, mean creatures!" He said with a sharp bark of laughter. Not much of a reader, Soul did admit to finding some human literature comical. Especially the stories that were meant to be about his people.

"So there are good demons too?" She asked, tone perking up with a note of acute interest.

"All demons are bad in some way or another; there are just ones that are less evil than others," He shrugged casually, turning his attention to the nearby window. Ah, it appeared they had finally actually reached Hell itself, judging by the brimstone starting to appear more so around them. "Some demons, however, are more… Well, I guess good is the best term I can think of. They think that sins are a necessity but that humans should not cling to sin and atonement as heavily as they do. Those demons try to help humans with issues controlling their filter, to help them better reign themselves in, and usually have powers that are better at achieving that task. There's a lot more to it than that but I don't know much other than that." He shrugged, not seeming too concerned.

This only made Maka that much more intrigued. "So you are a bad demon, then?"

"That's the million dollar question, sweetheart," Soul laughed with no mirth. Maka's only response was to just continue to stare at him, as if prompting him for a real answer. "When I know the answer myself I'll share it with you, okay?" He sighed, not even glancing away from the passing scenery to meet her gaze. He didn't need her knowing that, despite everything he said when Timp and Liz pushed in on him, he didn't have the slightest clue what it was he really wanted. He had been groomed by his mother to be a demon in what was the conventional, human definition. He had never really thought about taking a peek farther into his father's world.

After a few moments of awkward silence, the two settled into complaining about some new British pop star named Cher Lloyd(1).

…

"I'm never going to complain about the summer heat back in town ever again," Maka croaked out as she stumbled along beside Soul. Hell was as hot as… Well, Hell, for lack of a better comparison. She was in denim shorts that were just above her knees and yet she felt like she was jogging in ski pants. She was even wearing her most revealing top, a spaghetti strap with a V-neck cut and the word "Firecracker" in faded pink glitter across the top (a gift from one of her father's many floozies), but she may as well be wearing three fur-lined winter coats!

It also didn't help that she kept on stumbling and stubbing her toes on the too-warm stones along their way, since she was wearing sandals and they were apparently making a pit stop at an outdoors demonic swap meet.

"Well, Hell wasn't designed to be human accommodating," Soul remarked with a small laugh, waving the two bouquets he was holding in one hand at her, and she wanted to punch him. Oh how she wanted to just slap that mightier-than-thou look off his face. Here she was, pretty sure she'd keel over from overheating in the next five steps, and there he was, **fresh as a fucking daisy in his jeans and leather jacket**. She was going to take it back. She was not going to play nice when they got home, was not going to tone down her violent tendencies when dealing with him.

And when they got home she was going to introduce her beloved copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare to Soul's precious family jewels, to assure that he'd never unleash clones of himself to bring a new wave of horror to the human world.

Soul glanced about at some of the awning-clad shops along the street curiously. Particularly, he was in search of a stand owned by a nymph or a mage. The train between Hell and Death City only ran once a day because it took a lot of brimstone and pure dragon flame to keep the vessel moving. And since dragons were too large and heavy to carry onboard, they needed to spend a few hours preparing it for its trip. Sure, Soul could have left Maka back at the train because of this; after all, it wouldn't be going anywhere and all the compartments that carried passengers were insulated with special materials to keep them cooled and comfortable. The idea of leaving a (relatively) defenseless human girl on a train that was run by demons of various classes, abilities and moral standing, however, was a very big no-no in the book of a bodyguard.

Hence his need to find a nymph or mage; they would have something that could keep Maka hydrated.

"Been awhile since you been around here, Evans," A withered old voice chimed suddenly, causing him to jump and turn. He blinked a few times and then smirked at the blind old badger sitting before him. She reached up with one claw and lightly scratched at her long snout, eyes transfixed on him with an amused glint.

"How have you been, Bertha?" He asked, coming to a complete stop in front of the awning. Maka walked right into, letting out a disgruntled noise and glaring at him. She had taken to having to make her book into her own personal fan and bumping into him caused one page to rip a bit. "Hey, be more careful, would you?"

"It's kind of hard when the extreme heat is making me as dizzy as a drunkard! And who was it that thought it'd be a good idea for me to tag along again?" She seethed lowly. Soul rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the old were-badger trying to sell her wares before him.

She looked a touch startled at the sight of Maka, whom had resumed fanning herself and glaring at the molten walls and ceiling all around them. "Well, this isn't the first time a human whom isn't dead had been brought down here but I never expected this out of you. Maybe your brother but not you," Bertha remarked before shuffling through a bag hanging on the chair she was lounging in. She produced a long, thrashing cobra and took a bite while Soul looked at her goods a little closer.

It seemed that Bertha had added more variety since the last time he saw her. Originally Bertha sold hand-crafted demonic jewelry (perfect for witches to hex and be used to get funny reactions from humans), and then she had added small hand-held weapons to the mix as well. Now it appeared that she had a few other things, ranging from rare demonic snacks, poisons and way too many other mixtures. Had she partnered up with a demon whom could actually make all these potions and such, or had she gained the power on her own? "You seem to have extended my options for me. You got anything that can help La-La-Loopsy over there?" He asked, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at Maka, whom was standing close enough that he could protect her but far enough that she wouldn't really hear them if unless she was paying attention.

And given that she was currently crouched with her head between her knees, trying so hard not yak up her lung and stop the world from spinning, he doubted she'd notice.

"Well, I think I may have something that can help you out some," The old woman said, standing with a small grunt and walking behind her chair. There were several large see-through bins stacked on top of one another, mostly just more copies of her wares so that she wouldn't sell out, but one bin seemed to have things missing from the counter. She popped open the top, rummaged through it and finally returned, two items being carefully carried in her claws. She dumped them on the table and Soul raised an eyebrow, hand on his chin, as he leaned a little closer to better inspect them.

One that was of particular interest was a black headband with a small stone of sorts in the center, which he picked up and examined. He tapped the sapphire-tinted gem in the center only to receive an icy tingle up his arm. He shook it out, releasing a small hiss, and nodded. "Is this a headband with a freezing stone on it?"

"Yes, it regulates its wearer's body temperature to a healthy level. I figured that would be best to keep your… Young charge cooled off until you have finished your business here," She said, stealing a quick glance at the still crouched girl. Ah, apparently she wasn't getting any better, if the way she swayed from side to side was any indication. "It does have a small side effect of a terrible migraine but I'm sure that is better than her keeling over from heat stroke. Am I right?" She mused lightly.

"Yeah, I suppose so. How much you want for it?" Soul asked, starting to go for his wallet in his back pocket.

"Not a thing, you little welp," She laughed lightly, waving a clawed paw at him. She then picked up a small dagger in a leather holder. The handle appeared to be made of glass, with some metal around it to keep in attached to the actual blade, and a small circle at the very end. A tug with one of Bertha's claws revealed that it was actually a cork-top, revealing it to be a poison-wielding blade. "Take this as well. I'm certain that if you ask nicely enough the Hay Snake Witch will give you something lethal to keep in there."

"I almost forgot you and Medusa hated each other," He chuckled as she put the top back on and handed it to him. He examined it, not surprised that it was unused, well made and much sturdier than most blades like this one that others would have. Bertha may have been one of the peddling demons, too old to wreak havoc on humanity, but she always took pride in having only the best. "This dagger is great, and it has an aura that just screams expensive."

"Yes, well, you'll need both that human-loving snake and that blade if you aim to survive for much longer out there in your line of work," She scoffed, settling back into her seat.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Word on the street is that you've picked a fight with old Mosquito, over a human girl of all things," Her voice was not revolted or horrified, like most demons would have sounded. Bertha may have hated human-shielders but she also believed in being loyal to your kind. And, as far as she was concerned, Soul was still one of her kind. "Never expected the great Cernunnos and one of his apprentices to ever take up the job of protecting humans, I can assure you of that. Things on the mortal plane must be much harder for a demon up there than I had heard."

Soul shrugged and glanced around, making sure that Maka was still around. Oh, good, she was just writhing on the ground and dry heaving; she would be fine a little longer. "How many people know about what me and the old bastard are doing?" He asked in a hushed whisper.

"Well, it hasn't spread too far just yet, but it's getting around here pretty well. Arachne and her little pet came by a few days ago to pick up some things for Mosquito. Heavy Metal kept on barking on and on about how he was going to finally take you out. He's lucky I am not as fit as I was, or he'd have been faced with quite the intelligent response to the nonsense he was sprouting," She scoffed lightly, clacking her long tails together idly.

"I appreciate knowing that I have an ear to the ground down here," He chuckled lightly, setting the flowers down to put the blade in one of the pockets of his jacket. After picking his flowers back up, he looked at her curiously, twirling the headband on his index finger. "Any reason you offered me these goods, free of charge? I know that you and I have always been on good terms but this seems almost excessive."

"Six months ago Mosquito killed my lovely Lilith because she refused to sell him an item because it goes against the standards we agreed upon for our business. I just wanted to see if I couldn't tilt the scales a little, help karma make sure he gets what is his," She said, swallowing thickly and looking down. Lilith had been a Bertha's precious lover, a griffin whom had gladly stood by her side for the last three centuries. They had been looking forward to having another century together last time he'd seen them.

"I'll make sure that it does, don't worry about that," He said with a nod before walking over to Maka. He knelt beside her and smirked at how red her face was, knowing that he was probably going to pay for this later. "I got you a present." He said, holding the headband in her line of sight.

"I… will… kill you," Maka harshly panted, unable to crack her eyes very wide to give him the accompanying glare he knew was absent. He laughed and pulled her up so that she was leaning against him.

"Sure you will," He said while getting the headband over her head and situated on her forehead with one hand. He had to tug her pigtails out from under it, but other than that it looked fine on her. "Well, you won't be good to walk for a little so I guess I'll have to carry you." And then, before she could protest at all, he had her over one shoulder keeping her balanced with his arm on her legs.

Maka made a small, muted squealing noise and said nothing else. Without another word, Soul started the march to the cemetery, not caring that everyone was staring at them with wide eyes.

…

Maka was settled under a tree a few feet away, reading her book, still fuming at him for letting her nearly die while he was chatting with Bertha. When she had regained her ability to walk and talk, she had threatened to have him charged with "reckless endangerment". His rebuttle? "Have fun getting turned into a living blow-up doll while I'm sitting in prison, then!" And her response to that? Bonking him on the head with her book **and** kicking him in the shin.

But that was not what had led to her sitting away from him. No, that was to give him some amount of privacy while he was visiting with Ma and Wes. The crazy thing to Soul was that he hadn't even asked her leave; she had excused herself, saying she needed to rest and wanted to read. She sucked at lying and he'd seen through her like tracing paper. "She's a weird little contradiction rolled into one, let me say," He said, setting the two batches of flower on each respective grave. "She's got more pride than a trained army general but then she can suddenly act like a well-behaved child. I mean, I don't care if she hears what I say to you two."

He stayed there for a moment, kneeling beside the graves, just thinking about it all, wondering where he went wrong. His Ma had introduced him to Blair herself, so how could she have ended out being the somewhat flighty slut she turned out to be? And then there came the question of why Wes would sleep with her too? Wes had been more noble, more respectful, than that. Then again, Wes had sacrificed himself to save Soul, hadn't he? Perhaps that was his form of penance for betraying Soul? No, it was more like things were finally even.

Wes had slept with Blair, knowing that Soul would be crushed if (when) he learned the truth, and Soul had picked the fight with Giriko over the she-cat knowing that something bad was bound to happen. "Is that human with you? She seems like quite the young lady," Even though he had not heard the voice in years, Soul would recognize that patient baritone from anywhere.

Soul took in a deep breath, trying to remind himself that he was okay. "Yeah, you always did say that humans weren't as pathetic as Ma claimed," He said calmly. He then turned to meet those all too familiar blue eyes. "But I think that's only because you're a human-shielder, huh, Father?"

"I am a Reader, Soul, there is a difference," The other said with a sigh, running his fingers through the white fringe that brushed his forehead. Soul had always wondered where he'd picked that habit up from, though he'd never thought to consult the memories he had of his father to check.

"Not by much. You've always been one of those pompous assholes trying to get the demonic Code of Conduct on Earth altered," The younger snarled lout lowly.

"I see that the years have done nothing to make you any less bitter, or to wash that foul language out of your mouth," William said lightly, sighing heavily. For as much as he had always loved his sons, their personalities and mannerisms were almost completely night and day. He turned his gaze toward the tombstones and let out a small sigh. "Your mother would certainly be proud of your accomplishments."

"What, becoming you?" Soul hissed. William shook his head lightly, turning to full face his son. From the sour scowl on his lips, however, it appeared he had words to say.

"I mean following in her footsteps by training under Cernunnos. It took your mother years to convince him she was worth his time to teach," And that was all he said, miraculously. As a child, his father had always made him listen to these long winded speeches about why his behavior was unacceptable. But there was an interesting thing Soul picked up on as he stared into his father's face.

"Your eye," He whispered, reaching out tentatively. When the older demon didn't flinch back or even change expressions, Soul's fingers lightly rested against his father's left eyebrow. "You're blind in your left eye, aren't you?"

"Indeed. My sight was something I had to surrender for a much greater good," He said casually.

"Your left eye… It was the eye that gave you the gift to see into the future of your family members, wasn't it?" The power of a Reader was derived upon their ability to observe the world around them. If they could not observe, after all, than they could not really know whose future it was they needed to see. And it always went the same way; one eye was what gave them the ability to see the futures of anyone whose soul they tracked and the other gave them the ability to see the futures of those close to them. "How long has your sight been gone?"

Soul retracted his hands as he waited for his father to speak. "About eight, nine, years now? I think almost nine now, but I can't be sure,"

"Why didn't you tell Wes and I?" Soul accused, eyes sparking back to a fury.

"Oh, yes, I'm sure you would have answered that call, right?" He had never heard his father get sarcastic and it left him stunned. His father massaged his temples lightly and breathed through his nose loudly. "Sorry but you know it is the truth. You would not have cared at the time and I did not want to burden you with that knowledge."

"You still could have told one of us,"

"It was easier not to, then. Does that answer work better for you? Do you want me to turn myself into a villain and say it was because I was ashamed neither of you had decided to become a Reader like me? If I say that lie will that fix this jumbled, broke bridge between us?" There was no bitterness, no sarcasm, no malice to the words but they stung Soul much worse. There was honest curiosity and pain instead, as if this man he called father would lie if Soul would forgive him if he did.

Because if he lied and said those terrible things, he'd be more like the kinds of demons Soul was used to dealing with.

"I didn't think so," He sighed, past Soul. His gaze fell on Maka, whom had set her book down in her lap and was watching with a concerned frown. "Another selfless victim, eh? Well, take good care of her, Soul." He said before turning to walk away.

"Wait, what do you mean? How do you know anything about her? You've never even talked to her!" Soul blurted, brows creased slightly. Will turned and tapped his right eyebrow with one finger.

"I still have one, Soul,"

"Does that mean… What you said… Will Timp and I fail?"

"You know I can't share the fate of a human with someone who is not a Reader, son," He laughed lightly before he turned and walked away. Ruby orbs shifted uncertainly toward the young woman, her jade spheres locking with his.

For a moment, the muddled fear of failure gleamed in Soul's eyes before he called her to get ready to leave, brushing it away with his usual indifference. After all, she was just another human to him.

Right?

End

(1) Cher Llyod and I do not mix; specifically for one main reason. Viva la Vida by Coldplay is, like, one of my all-time ultimate favorite jams. Like, if my iPod shuffles to it, **regardless of my mood, I listen to that song from start to finish.** Everything about that song, from the poetic lyrics to the elegant use of the strings to the way that Chris Martin sings it… All my mind can scream is **fucking yes I need this**. Before the song she's popular with right now came out, I heard her cover of Viva la Vida, **which she added a fucking rap verse to**. No offense to her fans, I just cannot get over the butchering of one of my favorite songs. (I hate Jason Derulo for the same reason, actually).

Notes:

I think it'd be interesting to see what demons think of how we humans portray them, if they are real. I mean, there are so many different takes on demons and all of them so interesting. Also, there are two words that are pivotal points in the later chapters for this story. If you can guess them right than I shall offer you a reward~! ;D

And I promise next chapter will be back to developing Soul and Maka's desire to screw another as well as being actually funny again. (Also, RavenGreenMoon, yes. Look to the setting sun, and you shall see the glory of Stein~!) :3

Next Chapter:

He was seeing red, absolutely livid. Even knowing that the moron that had gotten her put in this situation was currently bleeding pretty severally at his feet didn't make him feel better, like it typically did. "And just when I thought that she and I were past this whole doing-things-intentionally-to-piss-one-another-off step in our relationship she takes advice from a **chattering monkey**!" He grumbled out bitterly, casting a glance at the dark haired woman barely restraining tears, resting the injured male's head in her lap. He rummaged through his cell and tossed it at her, which she scrambled to catch. "Use my phone and call a woman named Medusa; she's a medicinal witch who should be able to patch blueberry back into one piece easy enough. I'll go handle getting Tiny Tits back from Pincushion-Face."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I do own the plot.

Chapter Seven

Surprisingly enough, the next few days returned to the point before Timp started pitching a bitch, which had him throwing another hissy fit. Soul and Maka had settled back into their comfortable banter and abuse system; and, while she still did keep true to her promise of trying to tone it down, she still did throw things at him sometimes. To be honest, though, her insults were clever enough that Soul almost wished she'd just beat him over every little argument. The girl was a Goddamn wizard with words, and it didn't help that she had a much wider vocabulary than him. "So one field trip and suddenly the two of you are the best of friends again?" Timp quipped flatly, pouring himself a cup of coffee as Soul walked in the door.

Maka had to take her assessment tests for her college courses today. After the tests, she had to talk to a worker about her scholarships and inform them of her change of address, since the two demons made it clear that she would be staying with them until the end of her first semester, at least, with the difficulty of the contract. Since she would be at the campus all day with a ton of other students, the albino demon had told her to just drop him a call whenever she was done getting all her things and he'd come and get her.

"Are you really getting on this again? You sound like a busted record," The younger male scoffed, shrugging off his leather jacket and tossing it on the futon. He walked over to the fridge, "accidentally" kicking the stool Timp used so that he could reach the counters. Soul made sure that his face was shoved in the fridge so that his mentor would not see the shit-eating grin adorning his features. The other's disgruntled shout and the crash of the ceramic coffee cup hitting the floor forced out a poorly muffled giggle.

"You are the most insufferable jackass I've ever had the displeasure of taking as an apprentice," Timp mumbled with an annoyed glare at the other. He grabbed the nearby trash can and set to the painful task of picking up the chunks of glass that were now residing on the floor. He was also going to have to wipe up the coffee too. "You've been acting odd since that visit to Masumi and Wesley's graves. Any particular reason?"

"I saw Bertha," Soul remarked, pulling out the carton of milk. He twisted off the top, preparing to take a swig, when he remembered Maka snapping at him for that earlier. With a small, annoyed snort he got himself a glass, filled it with the drink and then took a sip. Of course, to avoid getting yelled at more, he made sure to put the milk back. And not in one of the shelves on the door, either, because the blonde girl would give him a lecture about how the milk stayed fresh longer if it wasn't exposed to the warm air of the apartment every time the door was opened. "I guess Mosquito killed Lilith. Can you believe that? Everyone knew Lilith and loved her; even when she was telling them to go off themselves."

"There!" The other snapped, pointing a finger at the glass in the other male's hand accusingly. The other glanced at his drink and then back up.

"Now, Timp, I know you and dairy products do not agree," Soul trailed slowly, "but that does not mean that it is evil when someone else decides to partake. As long as you don't take a swig you won't spend the day stinking up the apartment with your inability to hold your milk."

"That is not what I am talking about and do not go trying to change the subject to me!" Well, that avoidance tactic was a bust. The other walked over, jabbing a bony finger into the younger's thigh. "You put it in a glass because that girl told you to! You are falling all over yourself to please a human; a human, I may add, that you could cut to ribbons with no consequences if the mood were to strike you! You do realize that we are reaching the final test of your apprenticeship, do you not? If becoming a demon like me or your mother is truly what you want than we will be going to Lucifer to get it all handled shortly. But this new streak of kindness you've been expressing toward Miss Albarn is not right! You are a demon that feeds on sin and negativity! Why are you making things so comfortable for her?"

Soul merely glared down at him and took another sip of his milk.

"Well? Where's your witty retort? Where's your big, bad, cool-guy bravado now?" He continued on. He was going to get answers! For the love of Satan, Timp had made a promise to Soul and to Masumi and he was not about to break it! "Why are you letting this human get under your skin? Is it her purity, her strong-will? Because I somehow doubt it's her seductive nature; she's about as sexy as a creampuff!"

"Creampuffs can be sexy, sometimes," Soul pressed out feebly. A quick glance down and he was stunned to see the face the other wore. Or, more specifically, the color it had taken on. He didn't know that someone who was naturally red could turn green in a matter of three seconds, or possibly less.

"You… You are **lusting** after our client. Our client, I might add, whose **virginity** we are supposed to be guarding. The same client whom has developed a habit of **beating you with books** when your words get a touch too frisky for her. **The very same client** I advised you to keep a distance from for fear of this **exact thing happening**," He sucked in a deep breath, looking down suddenly. He pressed the heel of one hand against his forehead, his other hand falling to his hip, and let out a low, hollow chuckle. "Oh, Soul Eater Evans, you **never** disappoint me, do you? No, you've always got some sort of new and sneaky trick up your sleeve **to try and put me in a premature fucking grave**!"

Timp would admit that his words got away from him toward the end, but he was at his wits end. But when Soul looked away, eyes narrowed to a glare, and muttered, "It… Isn't like that, Timp. I don't **just** want to fuck her," he could feel his brain shutting down.

"You… I hadn't even thought this was a possibility," The other said, yet again stunned by this turn of events. Burgundy orbs landed on him, equally shocked.

"What? But-But-That talk you gave me! You made it clear that you were afraid I'd fall in love with her!" He blurted back.

"No, I was trying to imply my fears that you would become infatuated with **her helplessness**; you would love her need to have you protect her, not become attracted to her **actual personality**," He stressed, still reeling about this whole thing. He shook his head at him. "Oh, no, you've gone an extra step beyond Masumi, Soul. You want her for who she is; not just what she represents. And that is very dangerous."

"… I'm sure I'll get over this whole thing soon enough,"

"I find myself unable to believe that. It may seem like a crush now but if you and she continue to grow closer than you will fall for her. You will fall for her harder and in a more gruesome fashion than an airplane crashing into an elementary school. You have this terrible tendency to do that, you see; fall fast and hard and dangerously. You did it with Blair, and now you're doing it again," Timp shifted over to the coffee table and settled at it. He heard Soul shift before he, too, joined him at the table. He looked up, yellow eyes very worn but also very intrigued. "I am interested, though. From what I have observed, she knows much more about you than you know about her. Normally you only like it the other way around, being the one veiled in mystery so that the female is attracted to that shadowy past. How does it feel having the shoe on the other foot? Does it feel like she'd gripping you by the balls and not letting go?"

The younger shifted, getting himself comfortable, and tipped his head back. He stared up at the ceiling, noticing a crack he'd probably want to plug up before the rainy season started up. "Amazingly enough, it doesn't. It feels kind of nice to be less censored, speak with less riddles. I mean, she doesn't know everything but it's nice to have her know what she does. She isn't… She doesn't try to pretend to know what I feel," Soul felt a little better telling the truth. Timp was basically the closest thing to family that he had, given that things between he and his father were still strained, but talking to him sometimes could just be so difficult. "She knows better than to just flat out demand to know my whole life story; she only asks me questions when they are relative to the time."

"So should I be getting ready to deal with her beyond the time we'll be paid to keep her around?" Timp asked casually, wishing that he had something to drink. And now his coffee, either. No, he needed a straight shot of something **so hard** that it would have three of his five hearts floating in the toilet bowl later while a bearded lizard demon of uncertain gender rubbed his back and offered him a glass of ginger ale.

"Not too sure yet," Soul shrugged while letting his head fall back so that they were eye to eye. He hadn't really thought to confess his growing attraction to Maka anyway because he was unsure what would happen. "I mean, at first I was just really intrigued by how prideful that girl can be."

"Well, it is the energy of your preferred sin, so it only makes sense,"

"But then I see how she can be with everyone but me and all I can wonder is how she can do that. A girl with as much pride as her should not be able to be so kind and sweet to others," Ah, thinking too hard on it would give him a headache. He'd tried to figure out what it was about her that got to him but there was no set reason. That fact really irked him.

"It could be an act, you know,"

"No, no, I doubt it," Soul lurked forward, elbows on the table and fingers laced. Her rested himself against his twined fingers and stared at Timp, but was not really seeing him. His mind was running through everything that had been bothering him for the last few days, ever since that run in with his father. Her attitude and mannerisms were always genuine; they are too sincere to be an act. She clearly meant what she was doing or saying, and believed it with every fiber of her being. "You wanted to know what was bothering me, right?"

"Oh, are you going to grace me with an answer?" The other mused sarcastically. Soul resisted the urge to dump the rest of his milk right down the other's throat.

"My father came to the graves when Maka and I went by. He said something about her… He took one glance at her and then referred to her as 'another selfless victim'. Does that mean that we are going to fail? Is she… Is Maka going to have to end up surrendering to Mosquito when all is said and done?"

That seemed to snap the snark and annoyance right out of the older demon. "Not necessarily. When a Reader says something pertaining to someone's future it is always ridiculously obscure. It's a lot like how those fake human psychics work, saying things that are on the border of being frivolous and pertinent to the person whose future they are 'predicting'. Your father has always been an intelligent man, but he knows to word what he says as carefully as possible. If he says something too telling to Miss Albarn's future to you, whom is clearly not a Reader, he could be punished for treason. I think he was trying to imply something else," The red demon said calmly, staring to the sliding glass door with a thoughtful scowl. He had never been able to respect a demon whom did not look out for his own, and that was where his main issue with William came from. The fact that he was more concerned about humans than fellow demons, even Masumi and their children at certain points, was something he could never respect. "It is the wording that they choose that usually carries the weight of their premonitions. If those are the three words he used that won't leave your mind than you should study them as thoroughly as you can. Keep digging until you find a context that you think makes the most amount of sense."

Soul scrunched up his nose in distaste. "Wait, you mean I'm going to have to **actually study**? Aren't you my mentor and all that shit? Why can't you do it for me?"

"As I mentioned before, Soul Eater, we are reaching the end of your apprenticeship. You need to start doing things on your own. After all, I won't be around forever," The other said calmly. He then shuffled off of his seat and headed toward the door. "Anyway, I have a full schedule today; a meeting with Kid to further discuss the contract and then Lord Mosquito invited me to dinner to discuss why we are getting involved in the Albarn case." His hand fell to the doorknob before he paused and shot a meaningful glare over his shoulder. "Oh, and make sure that if you do your research while you wait on that girl to turn on some music or something. If there isn't background noise you'll fall asleep and miss her call."

"Sir, yes sir," He huffed sarcastically as he watched the other go. He then sighed and headed toward the futon, sliding his laptop out from under it and turning on the television. He may as well get to work while there was nothing better to do.

…

Maka yawned and stretched as she sat on the large stone wall around the school. It had taken nearly five hours to finish everything, but she had gotten everything. All four of her textbooks were tucked away safely in the messenger bag she'd brought with her. Now all she had to do was call Soul and tell him to come pick her up. She was pulling out her cell phone when a far too familiar voice suddenly screamed, "What'cha doin' Mortal?" right in her ear.

With a loud, shrill shriek, she smacked her best friend off the wall and to the ground using her entire bag of books. She heard soft, tinkling giggles close by and assumed it must be Tsubaki, what with the duo being joined at the hip since they started dating. "Damnit, Black*Star, you're going to be the death of me!" She huffed angrily, pressing her hand over her heart to calm herself down some.

"Sorry about that, Maka," Tsubaki chimes in lightly, still smiling gently.

"It's not your fault that he ran too fast for the leash to hold him," The young blonde muses teasingly, getting an annoyed scowl from the man she knocked over.

"You're lucky that you've been so faithful to me over the years, or else I'd take what you're saying as an insult," He huffed while dusting himself off. He then grinned at her, having already stopped caring about how she had beat him. "So, where's the your oh-so-sociable guard dog at?"

"Soul's not here. Since everything here at the school was going to take a few hours, and it's really crowded here, he didn't really need to stay with me for protection. I was actually just about to call him to come pick me up when you decided to make your presence known," She explained, shooting him a brief, annoyed look.

In typical Black*Star fashion, he decided to ignore the comment. "Why don't you come with me and Tsubaki? We were going to grab some lunch and then cruise the mall, maybe do a little shopping," He said with a wide grin. Maka made a face and stole a glance at her watch, brow creasing in concern. Soul had dropped her off at nine o'clock, and it was almost two. "Aw, come on! You're shark-toothed bodyguard is probably busy boinking some sexy she-demon! And it's not like you won't be safe with the Great and Powerful Black*Star by your side!" There was a clear whine to his tone that made Maka want to say no, just to spite him.

But his words bothered her. Was it possible Soul was having sex with some demonic floozy right now? Well, it made sense. After all, he seemed like the type to be able to her a girl with the greatest of ease. Hell, he'd even made that fact clear when she first arrived. Her better judgment told her that he was probably more of a professional than that, since bringing a stranger into the office while those demons were still after her was risky, and she had seen firsthand that he could be… Well, as close to nice as one could expect of a demon. But, in the end, it was the bitter, sour feeling Black*Star's comment brought up that won out.

"Sure thing. Where were you thinking about eating at?" She asked while situating her bag on her shoulder.

"There's a new gourmet burger place opened up at the mall and I've been dying to try it!" Black*Star grinned, running a few feet ahead of the girls. Since none of them had a car, she realized, they'd probably be hoofing it. Well, at least she'd worn a pair of boots.

"Tsubaki, you must be part angel or something. I mean, he'd my friend and all, but to date him must take some serious patience," The petite young woman said, casting a small glance the other woman's way.

"Oh, he's not that bad. Besides he just puts up this bravado in public since he feels he has his image to uphold. Once you get him one on one, he can be quite tender, affectionate and peaceful," There was this misty look, a softness to those sapphire orbs that forced Maka to look away. The love and dedication in her eyes as she watched the over-grown man-child darting too and fro in front of them, laughing like a madman, left her with another pang of something. This emotion, however, she could identify as being jealousy.

But not because she had ever wanted to be with Black*Star; the boy was like the twin brother God was benevolent enough not to saddle her with, she could never image anything romantic with him. But she was a bit envious that he had found a good woman to look after him. She was a bit glad that she'd asked Tsubaki to talk to him because she was sincerely happy that her only real friend was so happy with his love life. She had never really expected Black*Star's charms to worm his way into Tsubaki's heart in this way. The two had only been dating a few months but already she saw the kind of love in the other woman's eyes that the happy families from the daycare always wore.

It was with this realization in mind that she found herself biting her tongue to keep the envy at bay; after all, she feared being an old shrew like Soul had remarked weeks ago.

Despite her misgivings in regards to men and relationships, Maka was still human (no matter how much she wished that wasn't true). It was because of this that she hoped maybe she could find someone she could connect with while attending her classes. No, she was not doing what women in decades long ago did, of course. No, Maka Albarn was not the kind of girl that would only go to college in hopes of finding a husband. She had her own dreams that involved getting a degree, having a career, being self-reliant! If she met a guy, then that was nice, but her main focus would be her studies. Oh, and not getting herself attacked by those demons her father had thoughtlessly unleashed on her.

That was another high priority for her, though she actually had help in that field.

"-Ka? Maka? Are you there?" Tsubaki's voice quickly snapped her from her musings and she looked up, a bit startled, to look at the other. "Sorry, I was just going to ask you is you wanted to let that friend of yours know where he can pick you up from, since we won't be at the school."

"Ah, I probably should, huh?" She mumbled, starting to rummage through her bag for her phone. Just as her fingers skimmed the surface of the little plastic device, however, she looked up at the other woman with wide eyes. "Wait… Did you call Soul my friend?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I misunderstand? Black*Star hasn't mentioned much about your situation to me, and he has an odd way of calling things by different terms… Oh, but I'm not trying to pry! I-I mean, if you don't want to tell me what's going on I won't be insulted! Oh, wait, did that sound as passive-aggressive as I think? Oh, I'm so sorry!"

She laughed downright at how flustered the other got. "Don't worry about it, Tsubaki. It's not a big deal," She said with a small shrug. She looked off to the side, thinking of how best to explain her relationship with Soul. After all, things were a bit more comfortable now, and it was nice to see him be less of a jerk, but… Was it really a friendship or just a mutual sort of tolerance of one another? "Soul's a hired hand whose supposed to protect me. See, my Papa… He got really messed up and made a really bad deal with a demon. And it kinda involves me, but I don't want to be involved, so he hired Soul and Timp, Soul's associate, to protect me and get me out of the contract."

The other looked startled, then her eyes darted off to the side worriedly. "I thought when Black*Star said bodyguard he meant it in a joking sort of manner. I'm so sorry that something that bad is going on for you," She said gently.

"It's fine, I just try not to think about it too much. Anyway, what are you going to be going to school for?" Maka asked quickly, not wanting to remain on that subject much longer. She didn't want to have to keep up a brave face for something that was supposed to be fun.

…

Humans could be so stupid sometimes. He wasn't really going to complain, since it made his job only that much easier. Which was good, because Lord Mosquito was starting to get really pissed off with them. And it wasn't like he feared his boss at all; no was in Hell was he intimidated by that lazy fuck. But he did know that with his connections, the old geezer could get the three of them out of work for the rest of their extended lives. On top of that, it was a pretty cushy deal they had with the man that worked in everyone's favor.

The problem for them now was getting the stupid little girl alone.

He had been informed by Justin, whom had been scoping out this side of town in search for her, that he'd seen her with two other humans. And there was no sign of a familiar albino demon with pointy teeth anywhere. Howling excitedly at the concept of finally getting to isolate this girl, scare her shitless and hand her over to the boss, he had rushed over. Now, he was waiting in the alley outside the mall for her and her dumbass friends. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he yanked it out, glancing at the text message he had received. "They are heading to your exit right now," It read.

His lips twisted up in a cruel grin and he flickered his gaze around, observing for any bystanders. Luckily enough, since it was almost sun down, most people were already either in the mall or in the parking lot. All he had to do now was wait for the brat and her friend to part ways; it wouldn't be hard to intercept her before she could dial Eater's number. "Well, I should probably head home. I wanted to start reading my Biology book so that my mind would be a bit refreshed before the semester started up," He heard one voice, clearly that of a girl, chime. He couldn't be sure, but something told him that was probably the voice of the girl he was supposed to be snatching up.

Something about the pitch just screamed under-developed virgin to him.

"You're such a nerd, Maka! You were probably crying at graduation because you didn't want to go three months without school!" A loud, grating male voice laughed. He heard a smacking sound followed by a hiss of pain. "What was that for? You know it's true!"

"You're so full of it, Black*Star," The first voice huffed lowly.

"Oh, come on, no need to fight you two," A third voice, calm and soft, chimed in. Their voices were getting a little closer, meaning they were on the move. "So, you just need to call your guard, Soul, right?"

"Oh, yeah. He is supposed to be my ride," Maka said while rummaging through her bag for her things again. Giriko silently cursed under his breath, peering around the corner. The damn girl had the phone to her ear but she was getting closer. If he timed it just right he could snatch her before she had the chance to really raise the alarm. "Hey, Soul, sorry to wake you up, but can you come pick me u-!"

He threw out his arms, grabbing her around the waist with one and going to cover her mouth with the other. In her shock, Maka dropped her phone, but regained herself fast enough to start thrashing. "Hey, settle down you fuckin' brat!" Giriko hissed angrily, tightening his hold on her. He started to drag her backwards when a foot suddenly sped out and tripped him up, sending him crashing toward the ground.

He twisted his body so that he made sure the wretch in his arms took most of the blow. Maybe that would calm her down.

"Hold up there, buddy! No one takes one of my disciples against their will while I'm around!" Ah, it was the loud one from earlier. Giriko growled, looking down at the blonde girl in his arms, surprised to see that she was still fine and trying to crawl out of his grasp. He snickered and turned the arm around her waist into its weapon mode, the little pointed blades along the oval-shaped metal slab digging into her. She whimpered lightly but halted moving, as to avoid tearing herself apart. "Let her go!"

"Oh shut up, you brat!" He barked while he clumsily got to his feet, dragging the girl with him. Maka growled lowly, sending a glare at Giriko and then stealing a glance behind Black*Star. Luckily enough it seemed her phone hadn't broken from the drop, and Tsubaki had the sense to tell Soul what was going on. Poor thing looked terrified, though, with how wide her eyes were.

"Black*Star," She started to say, voice shaking slightly. She was afraid of this beast that was holding her, but not for herself. No, she didn't really care if he hurt her; she was pretty sure that if he got too physical with her he'd get in trouble with his leader. She was worried for Black*Star, because she had never wanted to drag him into this mess with her. "I want you to st-!"

"Settle down, Maka," He said, a smug grin on his lips. His eyes were shining with certainty and confidence so much so that Maka would have been comforted at any other time. "For a big man like me this guy won't last a minute." And then he was rushing forward, one fist clenched.

It quickly turned into a game of duck and weave, with neither guy landing or taking a hit. Giriko's annoyance with having to drag Maka along was getting worse, and his weapon started to slowly switch back and further with the desire for battle. The cuts were slowly being torn wider along her stomach but Maka refused to make a sound to show her distress. "Fuckin' dead weight," He growled through his teeth.

It was at this moment he received a bit of divine interventions. Or, rather, Justin firing two shots into his opponent from behind. "You looked like you needed a little help," The blonde man casually shrugged while Tsubaki shrieked, rushing to her boyfriend's side. Maka tensed in Giriko's arms as she watched Black*Star slump to the ground, flashing her a pained yet apologetic look. What did he have to be sorry for? Was he sorry that he couldn't do more to help her?

She glared at Giriko, feeling tears sting her eyes, and decided to damn the consequences of what she was going to do. She was going to get them away from he and Tsubaki, no matter what happened to her because of it. She looked forward, already wincing, before she brought the back of her head right into her holder's face. Her vision blurred for a moment from the force and abrupt impact with those metal points sticking through his nose, but when he cried out and she felt his grip loosen enough, she threw herself forward and took off running toward the other end of the alley.

There was another exit to the alley that would lead behind the mall and the small shops surrounding it. She knew she'd never be able to escape and there would be nothing but dumpsters to hide behind, but that wasn't her plan. She didn't want them hurting Black*Star any more than they already had as retribution for being unable to find her. She also knew that these guys would not be patient enough to wait the roughly fifteen minutes it would take Soul to get there.

And that estimated time was assuming that the traffic was light.

She had just reached the other side, could hear the heavy footsteps of the men chasing after her, but she skid to a stop in the entryway. Parked a few feet away was the limo from their first try to snatch her, with a beautiful woman leaning against the back door. She was wearing a tight black dress that accented her hourglass shape (though, in Maka's opinion, she seemed just a bit too top-heavy) and a fan. She smiled warmly at her, closing her fan with a light snap. "Hello, young Miss Albarn. My, you are even more adorable in the flesh and bone!" She said merrily, pushing up from the limo and stepping away from the door. She pressed a hand to her chest lightly, her expression all calm and perfect and demure.

"I am known as Lady Arachne by my friends and colleagues. And, as I see, you've met my boys."

The two men skid to a stop right behind Maka, causing her to jump, turn, and back away. Justin was watching her with blank, emotionless eyes while the other, she remembered Soul calling him Giriko, looked ready to lop her head off. Though she was smugly satisfied at the sight of the blood trickling from his nose. She silently patted herself on the back, and swore she'd buy herself a new book as a prize if it turned out she had actually broken it.

She would also take the term "hard-head" as a compliment from then on.

"You've already meet Justin, but Giriko… Oh, my, you went and startled the poor thing, didn't you? You must work on your people skills, my dear," Arachne huffed like a displeased mother scolding a muck-covered child. Giriko growled lowly while Justin walked over and opened the limo door. "Mow, Miss Albarn, why don't we get a move on? Lord Mosquito has been awaiting his meeting with you for quite some time now." One of her hands indicated the plush interior of the vehicle.

"I'm sorry, but my Mama always taught me not to get in a car with a stranger," Maka said quickly.

The other woman looked a touch insulted, her lower lip jutting out ever so slightly. "Why, we aren't strangers, darling," She chuckled lightly, "after all, we have all been formally introduced."

…

The drive to the mall was a short one (mostly because of ignoring several speed suggestions signs, as well as weaving between cars) but it didn't make him any less late to the rescue. He rushed over to the alley to find no one but Maka's friend and a new girl he'd never met before. The girl was hiccupping, pressing a few handkerchiefs (probably her own, since he could faintly see engravings) to two bleeding wounds in his belly. Soul could tell, however, that there were wounds on his back too. Gunshots that had, thankfully, gone all the way through. "Where the Hell did they go?" He asked, stopping to pick Maka's phone up from the ground a few feet from them.

Well, there went his hopes of using her phone to track her down before she got to Chupa Cabra's.

"T-Took Maka an-and l-l-left," The male coughed out weakly. Soul walked closer, kneeling down to look at him better. He was pale but there was still a spark in his eyes. He'd last a few more minutes, if he was lucky, without any real medical attention. "I th-thought I c-co-could protect h-her… Sorry." Ah, so that was why Maka had not called him after her business at the school was completed.

He was seeing red, absolutely livid. Even knowing that the moron that had gotten her put in this situation was currently bleeding pretty severally at his feet didn't make him feel better, like it typically did. "And just when I thought that she and I were past this whole doing-things-intentionally-to-piss-one-another-off step in our relationship she takes advice from a **chattering monkey**!" He grumbled out bitterly, casting a glance at the dark haired woman barely restraining tears, resting the injured male's head in her lap. He rummaged through his cell and tossed it at her, which she scrambled to catch. "Use my phone and call a woman named Medusa; she's a medicinal witch who should be able to patch blueberry back into one piece easy enough. I'll go handle getting Tiny Tits back from Pincushion-Face."

"T-Thank you," She whispered shakily. He nodded before turning his attention to Maka's phone, marching back to his bike. He quickly typed in Timp's number and waited for a response.

"Miss Albarn? How did you get my number?" The other asked, tone clearly surprised.

"It's me. Giriko and his little pack got Maka, but she lost her phone. I had to lend mine to one of her friends; they got fucked up trying to protect her,"

"And where were you?"

"Back at the apartment, doing that research you mentioned,"

"Meaning you were sleeping. Do you listen to me when I talk anymore?"

"Oh, shut the Hell up! She didn't even call me because her little pal convinced her she'd be safe with him!"

"… What do you need me to do, then?"

"I'm going to head over but they've got a head start. They'll be bringing her to Chupa Cabra's so I need you to stall Mosquito wherever it is you two will be dining at for as long as you can,"

"Well, that shouldn't be hard," Timp said, glancing up at the glowing sign of Chupa Cabra's. The bouncer as the door watched him wearily. "I'll be here, so I'll do my best to keep him away from the back rooms. But you better haul ass, because Mosquito is not a foolish man."

"Understood," Soul said, snapping his phone shut and uttering a small swear.

So distracted with his anger, he did not notice the small indigo she-cat watching him from the shadows.

End

Notes:

Just wanted to apologize real fast on the sporadic updates from me the last few weeks. I work 40 hours a week and have had a lot of errands to run on my days off, so I've had much less time to write. However, my updates should pick back up from now on assuming that another wrench doesn't get thrown in my currently working system.

Also, in regards to Jason Derulo, his song "Whatcha Say?" samples the song "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap, an indie singer whose music is incredible. The original song was about a bitter child voicing their rage over their family moving into a new home. The song by Derulo is a horrible abomination. If you want to check out Imogen Heap, I'd recommend the song that was sampled and her song "The Walk"; two of my favorites by her.

Next Chapter:

"Are you okay, Miss Albarn?" She could hear what sounded like Timp asking, but that strong arm around her certainly didn't feel like him. Despite the protesting pain in her head, and from the lacerations on her back, she cracked her eyes open and nearly let out a howl of shock. His golden eyes glinted before he chuckled lightly. "Ah, you've never seen my true form, have you? Well, drink it in; I rarely ever make use of it anymore."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I do own the plot.

Chapter Eight

No matter how many deep, quiet breaths she took her pulse kept going at a mile a minute. She was sitting across from Arachne, Justin and Giriko in the limo. The closer she had looked at the fabric as she got settled in, she noticed a slight difference in color, implying that a replacement had been needed at some time. As she watched Giriko rip open the seating on his side, however, she realized what had probably caused that to be necessary.

It was one of the reasons she ended up feeling so uneasy; he was doing that and neither of his associates seemed to care. Then again, he could turn his arm into a chainsaw and hack them into bits if he so pleased, so she didn't blame them. Soul could do something similar to that but Maka never worried about him turning his blade on her in rage; after all, he was getting paid to keep her happy ass from getting kidnapped by these morons (though, admittedly, she probably shouldn't insult them just because they outnumbered her). On top of that, she had her books. She wasn't scared of a walking kitchen utensil when she had her books as protection.

Too bad she had dropped her bag in her mad-dash in the alleyway.

She slumped back against the seat and stared out the window for a moment, trying to think. Maybe… If she could time it just right, she might be able to tuck and dive out of the car. Sure, she'd probably get road rash like no other but she would also have to enough time to run somewhere to hide. Then, once the coast was clear enough, she could either make the trek back to the office alone or call Soul up and beg for a ride. Nope, she'd probably want to take the ride. Sure, he'd be mad and yell at her, but she'd rather get that out of the way early on and not have to make the walk back with twilight descending upon the city.

She glanced back over at Arachne, whom was the closest to the door she was hoping to use as her means of escape. "Excuse me, Lady Arachne?" She asked in a polite yet slightly uneasy tone. She made sure to use the same terms the other had mentioned when introducing herself.

"Yes, dear?" The other asked calmly, her lips twitching up into those false smiles of hers.

"I was wondering if you had some water bottles or anything I could drink in that little fridge over there?" She asked, pointing and glancing over. This was the kind of ritzy limo she'd seen kids at her school showing up in for prom her Junior year, since the following year they all deemed it "totally cliché" to ride in one twice. If she was lucky, they'd have something other than alcoholic drinks in there.

"But of course. You must be so nervous over finally meeting Lord Mosquito, after all," She said, getting up and heading toward the small fridge. Despite the "Lady" moniker, Maka had the feeling she was probably the weakest of the team. She was most likely kept around for appearances (especially when they went to collect daughters from fathers who had not thought to hire demonic bodyguards) and meant to play the role of gracious, motherly hostess. That was why she'd thought to ask her for the drink, knowing she'd be the one to get it.

She stole one last glance at the door, making sure it was left unlocked, before flinging herself against it. One hand grabbed onto the little plastic, square-shaped pull that would open the door while the other slammed against the interior of the car that was not attached to the door. She was going to need to be a bit grounded before she made the big plunge. She could hear Arachne make a wordless cry of outrage right before she threw the door open and leapt out.

What she had not been anticipating was that Giriko would be right after her, grabbing her by her shoulders in mid-air, a low snarl of, "Nice try, bitch!" escaping him.

They hit the road rough, but once again this demon made her take most of the force. She could feel her back being torn apart as they ground along the asphalt, shrieking and squirming to try and get him off. His nails dug deeper into her shoulders and she swore she could hear him laughing at her pain. _'Sadictic bastard,'_ She cursed as they started to slowly stop, the sound of screeching tires and blaring horns keeping her mind focused on the situation. Her head thumped against the ground and she was unable to do anything but whimper and fight back tears. She could feel the blood starting to flow in a slow but steady pace from her back. She knew it was going to hurt like Hell later but that was later. And right now? She had to get this sneering jerk off of her.

"Did you really think that would work?" He laughed, one of his hands pressing against her stomach so that he back dug into the ground. She hissed through her teeth and glared up at him defiantly, lips twitching and trembling with the urge to weep. She would not relent and let those tears fall, though, until she was safely away from him. She shifted, one of his legs on either side of hers, before she brought her knee up as roughly as she could. He wheezed and tucked his head inward. She did it once more, putting more gusto into it this time, and that was what did it. He feel over, vomiting from the pain and his hands clutching his family jewels, while Maka scrambled up and made a break for it.

She darted to the median, looked both way, then rushed across and made it to the nearest alley she could find. Running on pure adrenaline, she quickly climbed up and over the chain link fence separating the two sides of the alley. She didn't stop until she was at the corner of the street, looking up at the signs and paling. She hadn't even realized it but she was a good thirty minutes from the mall, meaning an hour long trek just to get back to point A. She looked around again, trying to think if there were any shortcuts she could remember from around here.

"She's over here! Hurry up, Giriko, before she gets away!" She heard Justin call suddenly, his head just poking out of the alleyway. Uttering a small swear under her breath, Maka rushed into the crosswalk, despite the flashing red hand. She was going to have to put on the speed and start an intricate game of getting them to lose her into the city. And if she was lucky, while she was getting herself lost perhaps she'd been found by a familiar pair of red eyes with silver bangs leaking into them slightly.

The thought was so surprisingly comforting that she found silent tears dripping from the corners of her eyes and ever so slightly blurring her vision.

…

The seat was comfortable, he supposed, and the wine was of the best aging. On top of that, the server was a bearded lizard demon of uncertain gender. The name tag said "Alex," and while there was a little bit of a bump to the torso area, he also knew that all workers at Chupa Cabra that were hired as something other than a bouncer was typically required to wear stuffed bras. It was mostly for the gentlemen whom were a little less comfortable with their sexuality, given they had wives and children back at home. "How have you been, Cernunnos?" He heard a male voice coo warmly, snapping him from his thoughts.

Clearly Lord Mosquito was using his powers to appear much younger, taller and debonair than he should look. He was not much younger than Timp, after all, so he should be in an equally withered state. "I have seen better days, but I cannot complain," He shrugged, sipping his wine and putting on an air of indifference.

"Ah, I don't blame you. You, after all, were worshipped as a God," Lord Mosquito chuckled as he settled into his own seat across the table. Timp calmly swished the contents still in his glass around, not wanting to discuss his youth and the way he'd lounged about like some sort of heathen. "Though, I guess all those years spent idle made you less observant. You've lost what is it now? Six, seven apprentices because of your negligence?"

Ah, so this was the game the other wanted to play. Well, it took two to tango and Timp was relatively sure he could keep the beat better than this foppish mockery of a demon. "It was five –Masumi does not count, what with her apprenticeship being long ended at her time of dying, and Soul is still quite alive and well - and it was not out of negligence. Young demons can be terribly disrespectful and disobedient, especially when dealing with their instructors. Although, you know all about that, don't you, Nibbles?" He felt his lips quirk up in a satisfied grin as he took another sip, simply from the look of fury that crossed the other male's face. The look quickly dissolved into what could best be called bitter respect. "In your defense, though, Asura was never a patient man. And I mean, he should not have blown up at you as oft as he did. Just because you could not do something as simple as possess a human corpse is no reason to go to the lengths that he went in disciplining you."

"I see you have a very… Long memory," The other remarked coolly, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. It was just a small, sparkling little blaze right now. That would not satisfy Timp, though. He was a fan of raising riots and causing controversy; getting under another demon's skin was just one way to get big fires brewing.

And he was not going to be showed up in his area of expertise by this walking punch line.

"But of course. And Asura always had things to share at the pub after your training sessions. My apprentices may not have lasted long but at least they deserved the title of being true demons when they died," He said casually.

"Well, it doesn't do him much good now that I've made his soul my own, now does it?" The other said in a low, warning growl of a voice. Timp glanced at him, eyes flickering with interest in the low lights of the club. The other was keeping his face neutral but his eyes; ah, his eyes told a delicious tale of scorn and pain! It was clear to anyone with two brain cells that he'd like nothing more than to leap across the table and strange his company. The older red demon took a small note of humor out of how he had not really touched too heavily on all the things his late friend had told him about the man he was to dine with to spark this kind of reaction from him. "Now, I believe we were here to discuss business. Specifically, business of mine that you have no reason to be involved in."

Timp was about to respond when the server returned. "Terribly sorry, gentlemen, but do you need a little more time to decide on what you'd like?" Alex asked politely. Ah, the voice gave nothing away either. It was one of those voices that was sort of stuck in between being a boy's or girl's, leaving Timp even farther frustrated.

"Two plates of our prime-cut mermaid fin stew with baked potatoes, loaded with all the toppings. Bring two Caesar salads out to start –dressing on the side, if you would- as well as a bread basket and two bottles of this same wine, please," Lord Mosquito said quickly, plucking the two untouched menus and handing them to Alex. He did not, however, dare look away from Timp as he spoke. With a quick nod Alex was off to deliver the order to the cooks. "I figured you might like a taste of something a little exotic, since I hear you've been living on human food as of late." Mosquito was sneering at him now, previous hostility finding a different outlet.

"Hmm. You know, it's kind of funny," Timp said as he glared right back, "but I could have sworn that killing mermaids and harvesting their tails was ruled illegal a century back or so."

"That truly is an impeccable memory you have there, Cernunnos. Tell me, how is it you keep your mind so fresh after so many years?"

"Checking in on the laws of our world tends to help," He quipped flatly before sighing. No, he needed to stop picking a fight and get down to business. He could stall him all he'd like after their meal had arrived, assuming that Soul didn't already have Maka safely returned to his side. "Now, why do you say that the Albarn case is none of my business, pray tell? We have a contract of our own stating that Miss Albarn is to be in our protection to assure she is not forced into being a sexual servant for you here at the club."

"Oh, is that your fear? Why, no one works here against their will! And I never force any of the girls to submit to me!" The other laughed lightly, as if it were no big issue. His words did nothing but make the elder feel even more uncomfortable with the going-ons of the club. "Just because the girl is contractually obligated to give her virginity to me does not mean I would ever force her to do so. All the girls that are under a contract are kept here, at the club, and well cared for until the feel comfortable consenting to being with me,"

"And what happens if a girl does not?"

"Oh, all these girls come around at some point or another," He said with a dismissive wave of his hand. There was a certain glint in the other's dark eyes that gave it all away. "Women want to be dominated and abused, you know. It's a primal instinct inside of them that they just like to pretend to not acknowledge."

"Oh, please. I will give it to you that some girls are into those kinds of things, but all of them? No, not all women are into that. And I think that even the women that are into a little rough play would take issue with being robbed of their virginity by a soulless, uncaring bastard like yourself," Timp rebuked blandly, chugging down what was left of his glass. In all his years Timp had seen many horrors committed against women by those claiming to love them more than themselves, and none of those women were truly happy with what they got. Some of those women would break free and assert themselves, become strong and important women whom would help lift others out of that same situation. But more times than not, the women would surrender under their lovers and become husks of their former selves.

In yet, none of the girls here seemed to be that way. They were all happy, all bubbly, and all seemed more than willing to surrender to anyone else's desires.

That stuck out in his mind quite a bit, actually. While there was a nice amount of demonic girls working here there was also an equal amount of human girls. He glanced over at one, snuggling under one man's arm at the poker table a few feet away, and raised an eyebrow. She was wearing one of the tight, skimpy, neon-colored dresses the human girls here always wore. She even had neon bracelets in the same loud orange on her wrist. But it was then he noticed a tattoo on her left shoulder, that read "Chupa Cabra's" in pretty purple cursive ink. What self-respecting, intelligent woman would get a tattoo of the club she worked at? Hell, even your typical slut with her legs spread for all to use wouldn't have a tattoo like that on them! And there was the glittery eye shadow she wore, that just seemed to bring attention to her… Oh, sweet little Lucifer!

Things were even worse than he thought, here in Chupa Cabra's; much worse, indeed.

Alex walked back over, setting the salads, bread basket and a ice bucket with the two wines resting inside on the table for them. "Would you like another glass, sir?" Alex asked, removing the cork and holding it toward him.

"Yes, thank you," He said, holding her glass toward her. He perked up when Lord Mosquito's cell phone started to buzz lightly. He turned his attention to Alex, striking up conversation, while the other answered.

"What is it?" He said in a snippy tone, lightly wrapping his fingers along edge of the table. The gesture stopped abruptly and a vein in the top of his hand twitched. "What do you mean you lost her? Well, then, get the juice you'll need and then go find her. It certainly can't be that hard; you're supposed to be the best of the best. And, if you want to remain employed and alive, I suggest you fix this situation. At. Once." His voice was a low hiss, and it was hard to catch, but Timp was still able to catch just what he needed to know. As the other snapped his phone shut he picked his up, pretending that it had buzzed for him.

"Hello?" He asked, smiling lightly at Alex and holding up one hand, implying he needed just a moment. He then pretended to be startled by what was happening in his imaginary conversation. "Ah, no, no one had mentioned a word of this to me. I'm terribly sorry about that, I'll have this fixed right away." He said before snapping his phone shut. He shot a sympathetic look Mosquito's way. "It seems that good help is hard to find, nowadays. My secretary cannot find the contract from my last charge and the family is refusing to pay what they owe. I think I know where the document is but this situation requires my immediate attention. I am sure you understand, being a businessman yourself?"

"But of course. Shall we reschedule for tomorrow evening, then?" Mosquito offered, his face remaining a bitter scowl. Timp nodded and pushed away from the table, aiming to head out and see what he could do. He glanced back briefly, seeing the other male snapping orders at the server, before he sipped his own glass of wine with a small smirk. Timp picked up his pace, spotting a few bouncers heading over toward him, recognizing the closest as the same boar demon from his previous visit to get the documents they needed on Maka.

"Bah, what a troublesome sort of man," He groaned under his breath, rummaging through the pocket on the front of his blazer. Good thing he had decided to bring a tool he had never really been intending to make use of. After all, for a demon as highly regarded as he, having one was only logical; and on top of that, he had been given this particularly gift from Satan himself. He pulled the small totem out, knicking his thumb on the opposite hand so that blood came out. One of the bouncers had just reached him when he smeared his blood along the top of the item and tossed it to the ground. "Arise, my pet, and grant your master the chance to see his will brought to life!" He declared loudly, side-stepping when a grab was made at him.

That was when the ground started to rumble as if an earthquake was tearing through the town, but only the building was shaking. He could see the stricken look on Mosquito's face as the ground where the wooden statue had landed began to split up, a huge grey plume of smoke erupting from it. There was a loud, enraged trio of glorious howls that was soon followed by a loud bang as the ground split, and Timp's faithful pet stepped out. "The fuck is that?" The bouncer closest to him gulped loudly, stepping farther away, stunned at the grizzly bear sized behemoth before him. Timp smirked and turned his attention to the clattering mass of bone, fur and Hell-fire standing before the patrons and workers of the club.

"Well, I am sure you are well-versed in Satan's loyal dog that guards the gates that lead to the deeper parts of Hell, yes? Well, it isn't the same Cerberus (1) as all the way back when the Greeks first had an inkling of what lurked below. As such, breeding is a necessity to assure that the gates are well-guarded. I've just been lucky enough that Satan asked me if I'd like to have a pup to call my own. Of course, this one is not named Cerberus since he shall never take position as gate keeper. Isn't that right, boys?" He cooed affectionately at the Hellhound whose three heads were making rounds to snarl at every creature that was not its owner that stared at it.

His boys let out three small snarls simultaneously, taking a step so that they were standing next to their owner, keeping all six yellow eyes fixed on the still stunned guards. Through all three heads were covered in soft, rustic fur, most of the rest of their body was not. There was a strip of fur that went along the spine, stopping just short of a blazing-flame of a tail, and also some that trailed over their ribs like moss on a stone but that was about it. Between the thick fur, every twitch and shift of internal organs could be seen, kept in only because their ribs went farther than on human dogs, to form a strong cage of sorts to protect their innards from serious injury. Their chest was much the same, though there was no fur below any of their necks. Three frantically beating hearts were on display for the world, as were the bones that made an odd, grinding noise whenever he moved. The body lowered, the flames on their tail growing stronger, and their paws shifted in preparation for an attack. With one a small tilt of Timp's head, the demonic hound launched itself at the bodyguard and set to mutilating him.

Everything grew deathly quiet in the club, only the growls of the trio and the screams of the guard being heard. When he saw a mangled, bloody tusk get sent flying into the air, Timp snapped his fingers. "Alvin, Simon, Theodore; play time is over," He called proudly, his grin widening when the dog obeyed without hesitation. The other bouncers darted over the help the shrieking, bloody, unrecognizable mass of flesh and blood that was once their coworker. "Such good boys I have." He mused, gently pressing his forehead against the head of the middle head while stroking the sides of the two outer heads, grinning at the contented growls rumbling from the beast. With one final pat to each head, he glared back at Mosquito. "Now, I shall call you in the morning to reschedule out dinner together. If you'll excuse me, I need to take my dogs for a little walk." And with that, he turned and walked out with his pet faithfully clacking along at his side.

Mosquito snarled before whipping out his cell phone to call up his own triad of buffoons. He'd just have to let them know they'd be playing the role of animal control tonight, was all.

…

Soul was just pulling up as Timp was preparing to get in the car, phone in his hand. "Ah, good, you're here. That saves me time on trying to call your happy ass to relay the message," Timp said calmly. Soul pointed at the triplets with a raised eyebrow. "Look, I'll explain why I brought the boys here later. For now, we need to find Ms. Albarn."

"She's here, isn't she? Giriko and the others swiped her. Or are you just going senile in your old age?" He quipped with a roll of his eyes.

"You know, I don't have to help you. We could let her get taken to Mosquito and just refund all of Mr. Albarn's money. As far as I am concerned, I'm doing this as a favor to you, considering you could have just stayed with her all day and we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place," The older male responded patiently. He returned his phone to his pocket before he continued, not giving Soul the chance to come up with some witty comeback. "Anyway, Ms. Albarn was able to escape from them but now she's somewhere in the city. She's on the run but from what I was able to piece together Arachne and her group are having trouble tracking her down. She knows these streets better than they do, I'm willing to reason, so she's got the upper hand. As such, we need to get started on trying to track her ourselves and getting her back to the office without getting ourselves caught as well. We can't have those ruffians finding out where we live, after all."

"So you brought Alvin and the others in to sniff her out?" Soul asked hopefully.

"That's a part of it. They'll come with me, leading the car, and if they are able to pick up her scent than I'll call you and tell you where. She got away from them somewhere between here and the mall, so we'll want to split up and go in both directions," Timp explained. He then nodded toward the dogs. "You've got her cell, which should still have a trace of her scent on it. Let them each take a good sniff and then the real fun starts. Well, the real fun for me will be starting, anyway." Ah, yes, this little chase was going to be the kind of thing that Timp hadn't been allowed to enjoy in years and he was just a touch excited for it.

Soul held the phone out, letting the center head go first, while Timp crawled into the car, started it up and rolled down the windows. "Simon, I need you to make sure to keep the others on track, okay? Alvin gets distracted easily, and the smell of food will side-track Theodore, so I need you to be the big boss, okay? This girl's really important and we need to get her back safe and sound, you hear?" He whispered while the dog sniffed, one hand scratching behind his ear. The other looked at him, pale yellow eyes sparking with acknowledgement, before letting out an agreeing grunt. He smiled lightly, only slightly relieved by the gesture. "Good boy. If we can get her back in one piece then I'll bring you a bag of rabbits all for you, and only you."

He laughed then, shifting to give Alvin his sniff, as he saw the flaming tail wagging and flickering in excitement.

…

Maka gasped as she came to a shaky stop, nearly stumbling over her own feet. She peered around nervously, only slightly relieved when she realized that there were no people left at this park. She was unsure of how long she'd be running for, but it had to have been over thirty minutes. "I think… That's all… The… Cardio I'll need… For the next year," She wheezed, finally allowing herself to hunch over and catch her breath. She didn't place her hands on her knees for fear of making the scrapes she had sting. She'd fallen numerous times during the chance, but luckily enough, even with her flubs, she was still a few steps ahead of her pursuers.

She walked over to the restrooms and practically attacked the water fountain, not caring that the water had an odd taste and felt just a touch too warm to be really refreshing. It did a good enough job of settling the constant throb the dryness in her throat had caused her. She then glanced between the two rooms, debating. Though she was not sure that Giriko, Justin and Arachne would find her anytime soon, she was unsure if going into the women's restroom was her best option. If they ended up here, they'd be expecting her to be hiding in there, given her gender and all. Steeling her nerves, Maka took one last huge gulp of water and headed in the men's room.

Luckily enough, it was empty and very poorly lit. The only light that could be seen came from the small square windows at the top and bottom of the room, near the floor and roof respectively, meant to allow ventilation. They were less windows, really, since they were just portions of the wall that had no bricks, but they served a similar enough purpose. In the faint, sickly orange glow from the lights outside, Maka could make out a small sink with a paper towel dispenser above it, two urinals (and no, she **didn't** blush when she saw them) and two stalls in the room. The second stall, farther in, was clearly the stall for disabled individuals. Grabbing a ton of the paper towels, making sure to get some of them wet from the sink, she made a beeline for the larger stall and locked herself in.

"Well, I can't do much about my back but I can at least try and do a poor job of tidying up the little scrapes and cuts on my legs," She mumbles, setting the dry paper towels down on top of the toilet paper dispenser and sitting on the rim of the toilet. As she started wiping the areas down, wincing when little pebbles and specks of dirt rubbed at the tender skin, she decided to try and get a game plan figured out. "Okay. It's been a good chunk of time – probably about fifteen minutes or so - since I lost the Three Stooges, so I should be in the clear if I move slow and careful. If I remember correctly, there's a bar about two blocks from here. They'll be plenty of people there, and I'm sure they'll have a phone I can use in the back to call Soul. Ah, Soul!" She gasped, tossing the first few soiled towels away. She groaned, grabbing a dry one to wipe up any access water around the small wounds. "He'll probably yell at me for what happened. Well, I do deserve it, I guess. I should have just called him and had him meet us at the mall or something." She sighed as she shook her head, trying to get her head back on her plan of action. She was just getting ready to get up and leave when she heard loud, angry bickering outside.

"Are you sure that old bastard was right, Justin? Because as far as I can see **there's no fucking girl around here**!" Oh, God, it was them! How the Hell did they catch up to her so fast? Maka's stomach felt as if it had just made a jump of the Brooklyn Bridge.

"That is what he said but it is entirely possible that she already left. After all, I doubt that she'd be dumb enough to stay in one spot without being with at least one of her bodyguards for protection," The other answered evenly, making her flinch. Oh, that was good! That could work to her advantage! All she'd need to do was see which way they went, and then go the opposite direction!

"Whatever. I'm taking a piss first. Chasing this little bitch down better be worth something pretty fucking ritzy, too, or I'm going to kill something," The demon snarled back before Maka heard the swinging door to the men's room being violently kicked open.

She rushed up, slipping a bit and nearly landing a foot in the toilet, and slammed herself against the wall so that she was now sitting on the little metal back of the toilet, her feet resting on the seat. She bit her tongue to hold back a cry from slamming her back into the rough wall with more gusto than necessary, tears pricking the corner of her eyes. She held her breath, snapping her eyes shut when she heard his pants hit the floor and a hiss of, "Sonofabitch!" shortly after. She went to her happy place, pretending he wasn't there and she wasn't here. She pretended that she was back at the office, and that any minute now Soul would come in complaining about how he was hungry. And then she'd through something at him and tell him that real men didn't whine. He'd insult her tits, she'd insult his sense of fashion (hair accessories in specific) and then they'd continue on with their banter while she headed on out and started cooking.

It would be just like any other night for them, the way she wanted it to be.

He took too long to finish up, in her opinion, but once he was gone she released the breath she'd be holding in. Slowly, making sure she made no noise, she exited the stall and got to her knees, peering out at the park through the small box near the floor. It was too small to fit her head through, but she had a view of the basketball courts and would be able to see any feet that walked past. "Well, now that you're all finished up, shall we get going? Lord Mosquito expressed concern that our opponents had a hand up in tracking the girl down," Justin said evenly. She watched as she saw the two start to make their way past her before Justin stopped suddenly, his shoes covering Maka's view.

"What's up with you?" Giriko snarled lowly.

"Oh, nothing. I thought I heard a mouse or something," He said before resuming his silent march with his associate. Maka closed her eyes, muttering a small prayer under her, breath, and got back to her feet. She waited a while, wanting to make sure they had to have gotten a good chunk of space away from her, before she tiptoed back outside and prepared to make a break for it.

As soon as she was far enough away from the bathroom to be considered out in the open, however, she was tackled to the ground from behind.

She hit the ground and twisting, facing her attacker, and nearly screamed when she was greeted by Giriko smirking face. She tried to throw a punch at his face but he caught her rest, pinning it down and slamming his other hand to her throat before she could try another attack. His fingers tightened slowly, his grin growing much more smug. "Did you really think you could get away from me that easily, you little bitch? **I'm a fucking demon**! I can smell your blood better than a fucking dog can!" To add to his point, he lifted Maka up by her throat and slammed her head back against the ground, leaving her vision flickering and hazy. "But this time, you're not getting away! I'm going to make sure I knock you out first!" He laughed loudly, preparing to give her head another quick slam. She slammed her eyes shut, awaiting the inevitable pain that was about to be brought down on her.

It was then that a blurred figure rammed into Giriko, the two figures tumbling off to the side a bit in a flurry of swears and clattering. Maka felt her body being shifted and let out a small whimpering noise, the sensation of something being pressed against her injured back far from pleasant.

"Are you okay, Miss Albarn?" She could hear what sounded like Timp asking, but that strong arm around her certainly didn't feel like him. Despite the protesting pain in her head, and from the lacerations on her back, she cracked her eyes open and nearly let out a howl of shock. His golden eyes glinted before he chuckled lightly. "Ah, you've never seen my true form, have you? Well, drink it in; I rarely ever make use of it anymore."

His "true form", as he called it, was certainly much easier on the eyes than his normal form. Instead of a shriveled, small demon he appeared as a well-aged man, in every sense of the word. He looked to be somewhere in his fifties, with faint traces of his age etched in his face and the small lines hear his eyes, but he had a full head of pepper-tinted hair, his twin horns sticking out in their usual locations. Underneath his horns were small, oval-shaped little ears that twitched at the slightest of sounds. His skin was no longer red, but had changed to a reddish-brown tint, similar to worn wood on certain types of desks. He was still wearing his usual suit, from the torso up. But from the waist below? He had developed a thick coat of animal-like fur that matched his hair in hue, and his legs were purely reminiscent of a deer or antelope. It was then that it struck Maka what it was Timp truly was.

His true form was that of a faun (2).

He chuckled at the still-stricken young woman and turned his attention back to where his pet was playing with Giriko. He whistled, causing all three heads to turn to look at him. "Alvin, Simon, Theodore, return to me!" He called while glaring down at the mouthy young demon snarling at the demonic dog. The triplets followed the order, Alvin leaning forward to take a quick sniff at Maka. "Boys, stay here and protect Ms. Albarn until Soul can get here. I've got a few things to say to this uppity young brat." The dog shifted, laying down in front of Maka so that she could lean against it without causing anymore irritation to her injuries. Once he was sure the two were settled, Timp rose and dusted some dirt from the fur on his knees.

"Tch. I'm supposed to be intimidated by you? You're even more decrypted than Mosquito!" Giriko barked angrily. Justin held his hand out to his companion suddenly, stepping in front of him with interest gleaming in his eyes.

"Wait a moment, Giriko. Last time we met Lady Arachne referred to you as Cernunnos, the Celtic God of the Hunt. Is that true?" He asked, interestedly.

Timp held up a hand and shook his head. "In part, yes, but also no. That is, indeed, my given name; however," He indicated himself with one hand as he spoke, a small amused smile on his lips, "I am clearly no God. The only reason I have received such a title is because when I was young and foolish I was seen on one of my few visits to the human world and became revered as such." He rushed forward suddenly, shifting his body and sending his knee right into Justin's face. The young human tumbled along the ground, letting out several displeased noises. "No, I am not a God, but I do not appreciate you asking such things so casually. After all, some years ago you watched as this useless bastard killed people that were very important to me without a single protest. Humans like you, whom wallow in your own cowardice and cling to whatever seems to be the more powerful belief so as to give your life meaning, are what I hate. Religion and blind faith are two very different things, and I cannot stand the latter."

Giriko blinked then smirked. "Well, it seems you aren't as dumb as Mosquito, at least. After all, anyone that can see what a fucking idiot Justin is has to have a few brain cells left in their senile old head," He laughed before transforming his arm and taking a menacing step forward. Timp quirked an eyebrow, not particularly impressed with the gesture. "But that doesn't mean shit. I'm still going to slice you up into ribbons."

"I'd like to see you try. I'm only going to play with you this once; the honor of lopping off you head is something I've already assured Soul Eater that he will be given," The older demon said evenly, eyes sizing up Giriko. Six years ago he had been a touch impressed with the other's prowess and complete disregard of morals or decency. Now, however, he was disgusted at how easily he had been able to take down Masumi and nearly kill Soul as well. Wesley had never been much of a fighter, and while watching him be torn to shreds had been hard to watch, it was to be expected. Little fish get eaten by bigger fish, after all.

And bigger fish typically got eaten by even bigger fish. And there was no contest; Timp was the bigger fish in this situation.

The other only laughed again before launching at Timp. Timp stepped to the side, pivoting his body and bringing his hand out to smack the other upside the back of the head. He smirked at the enraged snarl he got, the other twisting to follow after him. The move was repeated again a few more times, to Timp's delight; side step, slight shift, bitch-slap across the back of the head. It was almost like some kind of interpretive dance. "Are you even trying? I mean, Soul Eater doesn't even fall for this trick anymore," He goaded casually.

"That feels like a back-handed compliment, to be honest," An annoyed voice snapped suddenly, causing the two fighting demons to turn their attention toward it. Soul was standing a few feet behind Maka, face the picture of rage, his gaze fixed squarely on Giriko. "I mean, I know you think I'm a complete moron but don't drop me down to the same level as this ass."

"Ah, my apologies. If I had known you were right there, I wouldn't have phrased it the way I did," Timp said with an indifferent shrug.

"Lying asshole. Anyway, do you need us to stay here to watch you play kickball with him or can I take Tiny Tits and go?"

"Oh, feel free to get going; Ms. Albarn looks like she could use some medical attention. I'll be along shortly," Timp chuckled lightly, turning his attention back to Giriko.

"You think I'll let you just take her, just like that? We caught the little bitch earlier and we'll be taking her back now too!" The other snarled, the blade of his arm whirling faster in his fury. Soul ignored him to focus on carefully helping Maka get settled on his back, not wanting her to walk just from the looks of her.

"Think you can last long enough to get back to the office? I don't want you falling off on the drive back," He kept his tone flat, detached, because he really didn't want to snap at her. She had clearly already been through Hell today, what with being knocked around by Mosquito's little minions. The last thing he needed was her feeling even worse, what with the fact he swore he'd seen a little bit of blood trickling along her neck from her head.

"Yeah, I should be fine," She mumbled, burrowing her face into the space between his shoulders lightly. It smelt like Old Spice and leather and made her feel a touch less woozy. "Hey, Soul? I'm so-!"

"Keep it to yourself for now, Maka," She twitched a bit at how he cut her off. He didn't often call her by her actual name. It left her with a feeling similar to when one gets talked down to by a parent, only it felt like a much heavier weight in her belly. She swallowed hard, trying to fight the feeling off, and focused instead on the sound of his boots crunching along the ground.

Timp watched them go then chuckled lightly, looking back at the furious red-head standing before him. "Now then, it's time for a lesson," He mused, snapping his fingers. Suddenly Alvin, Simon and Theodore were back on their paws, rushing to his feet with low snarls. "I may not be a God, but I am certainly going to show you why the Celts deemed me as such."

End

(1) Cerberus – I know what some of you are going to say; "Wait, Cerberus is from Greek and Roman mythology, not Celtic polytheism like Cernunnos!" The reason I decided to use Cerberus (or, rather, a baby Cerberus) in this chapter is as follows: For this story I am trying to create my own definition of what Hell is. In my opinion, I don't think that any one take on the Underworld is completely accurate, though each one has something interesting to offer up, but I lack a real opinion of my own. I decided to take my own spin on it and sprinkle touches of each different religion/mythology/polytheism/whatever else there is throughout Hell to make it what it is. (Also, yes, this is my opinion on what Cerberus would look like/ how it would work. Yeah, I know, I'm a weird one. :T)

(2) Faun – I'm pretty sure all of you know what a faun is, so I won't really get into a description of that. But, rather, you must be wondering why I chose a faun to be Timp's true form? Well, when I looked up images of Cernunnos, to help me reach my decision on how he should look, most of the images I found either depicted him as a faun, or a creature similar to one. Also, I think fauns are incredibly beautiful mystical creatures so it just seemed to make sense (basically meaning I had an excuse so I took it).

Notes:

I am really sorry that this update took so long. Remember how I mentioned that as long as no more shit hit the fan my updates should pick back up? Yeah, well, buckets of crap went down for the last few weeks and I've been trying to handle it without just screeching like a banshee, flinging my hands up in defeat and declaring myself done with everything. On top of that, I've been getting back into an old fandom of mine, so I might start for writing for that too. Again, I'm really sorry for the late update and I'll try to have the next chapter up sooner.

Next Chapter:

There were few things she really knew about him, when she really thought about it. She knew he was a demon, he had a tendency to be a jackass, but he also had a decent heart and head. After all, he wasn't really taking too much fuss with helping her around while she was still healing up; he wasn't even whining about having to change her bandages or clean the nasty wounds on her back, nor had he exploded at her over her stupid actions being the cause of the whole thing. So maybe they really were becoming friends, or something similar to that.

And maybe she really could talk to him about this.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I do own the plot.

Chapter Nine

Soul had to give Maka some credit; she did what he said well enough. She had been able to keep herself focused up until the moment he was parking the bike in front of the office. It wasn't until he was helping her stand that the dizziness and fatigue she'd been fighting off finally won out. She slumped against him, all her strength just abandoning her, and left him to drag her inside alone. "You are one crazy human, you know that?" He grumbled as he opened the door.

Inside he was greeted by Liz, Medusa, and Maka's two little friends waiting for him. Medusa looked furious for a moment, opening her mouth to say something, but then she took in Maka's disheveled appearance. "Dear Lord, what the Hell happened to her?" She asked, darting over and holding out her arms, aiming to take the young woman from Soul.

"She got feisty with Giriko. He's never been good at dealing with strong, independent women, as I'm sure you know," He said, only a small undertone of sarcasm to his words. Medusa shifted some of Maka's hair to the side, wincing at the wound hidden underneath. "How bad is it?" He asked, tone growing softer with concern.

"I'll need to get to work immediately. Miss, ah, Tsubaki, was it? Would you mind giving me a hand? My assistant doesn't have a calm enough nature to really help me more than handing me certain objects," She explained politely, carefully draping one of Maka's arms over her shoulders.

"Of course!" The ebony haired girl said, jumping to her feet and rushing over. She supported Maka on her other side and followed the medical witch to the stairs.

Crimson spheres swiveled over to Black*Star, whom was watching the disappearing trio with poorly covered rage. His entire form was tense, fists clenched, eyes crackling with a kind of rage Soul knew was brewing deep within himself. He instead turned his attention to Liz, who looked unsure and worried behind her desk. "Liz, call Maka's old man and tell him what's going on. We did tell him that her medical expenses were his problem so he'll need to know it's going to be added to the charges," He said with practiced calm. After years of dealing with these kinds of disasters (though, admittedly, they were far and few between), he had taken a tip from his mentor. And though Soul was terrible at keeping it together while the danger was still lurking about, he had won this round and could feel somewhat comforted by that. Maka was going to be okay, Medusa would have her back in tip-top shape soon, and then he could focus on figuring out just how he wanted to go about castrating Giriko.

"What about Timp? Do you need me to call him and give him a status report?" Liz asked, shifting through Maka's file to find the number she needed.

"Nah. He'll be back soon enough; he was distracting Giriko so that we could escape," He said before turning his attention to the only human left in the room. He jerked his thumb toward one of the chairs at the table. "So, now that you aren't bleeding like a stuck pig, how about we have a little chat? I have a few points I'd like to make, and am rather curious as to what your response will be."

The slightly shorter male looked him up and down, seeming to debate on whether or not he was going to listen to what the demon was saying. To make a point, Soul turned one of his arms into a scythe and pointed at the chair he had previously indicated. "That's a nifty party trick," Black*Star said finally, sliding into the seat. He still didn't seem particularly impressed but Soul at least had his attention.

"It's even better when I put on my clown suit and do my routine at kids' parties," He quipped sarcastically. The other twitched but made no remark, so Soul decided to cut to the chase. "So, any reason you decided to put Maka in extreme risk by having her not call me? Because if you're working as a double agent I'd like to be aware; I can slice though a puny little jackass like you as easily as I can slice bread with my blade."

"I'd never want Maka to be hurt or raped by those bastards after her!" The blue haired male snapped back angrily. He then looked down, his rage flickering down to guilt. It made Soul feel a small touch better; at least he acknowledged that he really fucked up. "I thought I could handle it. I'm the toughest guy around; never lost a fight, you know? I knew that it was demons coming after her but I… I'm the guy that's going to surpass the Gods! Puny little demons like that shouldn't be an issue for me!"

"Wanna know a little secret? You're a human; demons will always be stronger than you. It's just a simple fact of your existence," Soul said with a small snort. He heard Liz making frantic noises over at her desk, most likely trying to settle down Maka's father, but decided to leave that battle to her. It was pretty clear from that only meeting they'd had that Papa Albarn was not fond of the albino. "You can keep talking all the trash you want but that is an inescapable fact. There's a reason why I was hired to watch over Maka; I'm a demon too. I can kick Giriko's ass on a level playing field. Best you can manage is being a human meat shield, as you valiantly proved earlier."

"What the Hell gives you the right to talk down to me like that?" Black*Star snarled lowly, glaring up at him.

"Maybe the fact that Maka could have been dragged to Lord Mosquito today because of your mistake? Pull your head out of your ass, clean the shit out of your ears and try listening to what I'm fucking saying!" He hissed back, tone a grumbling warning to back down. He was only slightly stunned when the other kept up his defiant face, glare growing that much more bitter, but then he caught wind of it. Ah, yes, it only made sense; this little punk was just **oozing** pride from practically every pore of his body. "I'm going to have to ask that your time with Maka is supervised from now on. By me. Since, you know, **actual fucking demon** that can kick **other actual fucking demon** **ass**. We have rules around here and convincing her to go against them? Yeah, that's going to make you look irresponsible, buddy."

The other's glare shifted to a wince, before his eyes turned to look out the office window. There's was still a trace of indignation but there was also a softer touch of understanding and regret. Well, he wasn't a complete idiot, at least. "So I'm assuming that after tonight I should avoid coming here anymore?"

"Yeah. Giriko knows your face now; he'll keep an eye out for you and try to follow you. If it makes you feel any better her old man isn't allowed to come down here either," Soul advised patiently, letting his own gaze shift to the staircase. Normally it didn't take Medusa this long to heal someone's wounds; was there a complication of some sort? He stood up and indicated the door with a tilt of his head. "I'll send your girlfriend down here and then you two should get going. Once Medusa's done healing Maka she's going to need to get some serious rest."

"I can be quiet!" The other barked, voice raising a touch at what he viewed as an insult.

"What I mean is that she won't want to talk or anything; she's just going to want to sleep. It'd be dull and I don't feel like entertaining," He said simply. He then turned and headed up the stairs, grateful that the other didn't decide to press the matter further. While he did act as if the blame was solely on him, Soul knew better than to believe that. No, honestly he just wanted to use the human's sense of guilt to get him to do what he said. Maka definitely held some blame in this, too, and he was going to give her a piece of his mind once she was feeling better.

Upstairs he was greeted by Chrona standing alone in the living room. He was peering at Soul's laptop, probably told to wait outside and distract Soul until the job was finished, meaning there may be some sort of unexpected complication. The albino forced the thought off to the side and instead focused on something else; a small flicker of interest in the other's eyes at what he saw on the screen. When Soul had received the call, he'd forgotten to shut his laptop. "What's up, string bean? What's the damage?" He asked curiously.

The other jumped, letting out a very un-man-ish yelp, and wheeled around to face him. "A-Ah, sorry! I-I was j-j-ju-!"

"Don't worry about it, Chrona. You don't have to explain yourself to me," Soul said while casually breezing past him. He flopped down on the futon and picked back up the computer. He glanced at it, cocking an eyebrow. He had been doing research into the seven deadly sins, thinking that might be the best next place to look into figuring out what his father and Timp were talking about. It had been after countless other searches (the definition of the word "selfless," and what its synonyms, the same routine implemented with the word "victim") landing him nowhere that got him to try looking into the seven deadly sins.

After all, he knew that Watchers like his father didn't feed on sin like most demons but their food source was some kind of kin to it.

He shook his head and calmly closed his computer, deciding that he could look back into the website he'd been cruising on later. He turned his attention back to Chrona, whom seemed to relax ever so slightly with Soul's remark to settle himself. "Anyway, what's going on in there? Or is your mother just getting senile in her old age?" He asked with a small smirk, lacing his fingers behind his head and closing his eyes. He opened one again a second later when something sharp and slightly painful prodded him on the tip of his nose. He glared at the black and purple sparking vector arrow staring him down like an enraged rattlesnake.

He should have known the old hag would be able to hear him; the walls in this place were easy to hear through when the television was turned off.

He glanced toward the doorway of Maka's room to find a scowling Medusa exiting, a worried Tsubaki close at her heels. "Well, I was able to clean, dress and bandage the wounds but I was unable to heal them," The blonde witch said with a small sigh. Soul sat back up, his elbows coming to rest on his knees so he could hold up his head.

"Well, seems you ain't as talented as you always boast. Or did you just use up all your energy on the howler monkey sulking downstairs?" He asked with a cheeky grin, trying to play it off. He didn't need these three knowing that he was actually, sincerely, concerned about the wellness of a human.

"Hm? Why is Black*Star upset?" Tsubaki asked curiously, seeming to temporarily place her fears for Maka to the back of her mind.

"Oh, he's just overreacting because I called him out on his idiocy," Soul shrugged, rolling his eyes. He nodded his head toward the currently shut front door. "You should put a sign on the kid that says 'Only bad ideas will pour from this whole in my face', just to assure he doesn't screw anything else up."

Tsubaki's cerulean orbs hardened, a small fire starting to brew behind them. "I know that it was wrong of Black*Star to suggest that Maka would be fine without you to protect her, but you don't need to insult him. He honestly thought that he could handle it," She said seriously. One pale brow was quirked at this, wondering if she would be speaking that of her lovers "Godliness". If so, he'd have to go the rude route and just tune her out because he could not care less if he tried. "Black*Star's ancestors are said to be the direct descendants of the Gods themselves, hence why he thinks he can handle anything. No matter how hard I try to explain to him that they are myths, he claims they are just the honest-to-goodness biographies of his kin. And he claims that he'll live a life just as great and admirable as them. He may be a bit of a bumbler, but he has a good heart and he really does love Maka like the sister he never had."

"Well, personally, I wouldn't go putting my sister in the kind of danger he did, so excuse me if I don't exactly find his efforts any less irritable. Though, I must say, that was a much prettier speech than the explanation he offered up himself," The demon answered back, no much caring. To him, stupid was still stupid. Being well-intentioned did not alleviate the person of responsibility or make the after effects any less ground breaking.

He should know; his own stupidity got almost his entire family slaughtered in one fell swoop.

The young woman did not have a response to him, this time, so she turned and left with an enraged huff. Once she was gone Medusa let out a small laugh, dropping her medical bag on the floor by the coffee table. "You're still as terrible at making friends as ever, I see," She mused lightly, seeming to find his behavior comical.

"Cut to the chase. Why didn't you heal her up?"

"Well, the healing salve I usually use only made it worse," She said loftily, dropping into the arm chair so that her legs were draped over one of the legs. Chrona, taking his mother's actions as a sign they'd be there for a while, settled himself on the floor next to the chair. He then started to draw little swirly designs into the carpet. "It appears she had an allergic reaction to something in the mixture. Since you idiots didn't seem to remember to get a medical file on her I can't do anything else right now."

Soul slapped his forehead as she spoke. How the fuck did they forget something as basic as her medical history?

"My sentiments exactly. Anyway," She twirled her hand in circle at this, "I was able to get it well-tended for now. Once you get your hands on a copy of her medical history I'll be more than happy to come back and finish my job, with a proper salve. Until then, you'll want to clean the wounds and keep them dressed up." She said, a small black clay pot appearing in her palm. She lifted her other hand, causing it to become airborne and float to the rest on the coffee table. "Use the medicine in that pot; it isn't an immediate healing salve but it'll speed up her healing process in the meantime."

"I'll call over to her father in the morning and ask for the name of her primary medical doctor," Timp's voice from the door was haggard, tired and worn. His clothes were a tattered mess, with small cuts and bruises visible here and there. In one hand he held the summoning totem for the triplets and in the other he held a good chunk of his left horn. He flashed a weak smile at the six horrified looks he was rewarded with. "Oh, please. You think I'm bad off? I ripped that boy's arm off and smacked him with it… No, literally, I tore one of his arms right off his shoulder and smacked him across the face a few times with it before I left."

"Holy Beelzebub," Soul muttered lowly.

"What? You think just because I'm old I can't keep up with the young ruffians? You seem to forget I have the true swag of an old-school pimp… And I even have the limp, though that's probably just a side effect from a fractured femur," He remarked while carefully dragging himself over to the futon. Once he had crawled into a sitting position, Medusa was back on her feet and heading over to offer her assistance.

Soul shook his head and chuckled lightly, standing up and picking up the pot Medusa had given him. "You really are a weird one, aren't you, Timp?"

"Well, I deal with you on a daily basis. I might lose my mind if I didn't adapt to get under your skin as well," The older demon chuckled lightly.

Golden eyes watched Soul as he headed toward the hallway. "She's sleeping right now, so don't go waking her up," She said warningly.

"I know, I know. Sheesh, such a bossy old snake," He grumbled.

Medusa took comfort in the small uttered swear he released when one of her arrows "accidentally" popped out of the ground to trip him on his way. "So, who exactly did this to you?" She asked, rummaging through her bag for the horn paste she kept on hand. A demon's horns were much like a human's nose bone; they could be broken and repaired relatively easily, but if they were broken at just the right angle there would be serious head trauma that would lead to death. In the case of a horn, a few days using horn paste and it would be good as new.

"Oh, it was Giriko. Arachne sends a hello, by the way," Timp said casually as Medusa began to calmly spread the paste with a small cotton ball. She paused and stared at him, face scrunched up in disgusted alarm.

"That doesn't sound like my sister," She remarked before starting to reposition the broken part of his horn.

"Yes, well, that was just the best translation I could come up with. She had a visit knocking at both doors, as per her usual,"

"Now **that** actually sounds like my sister," She laughed lightly, shaking her head. Arachne had always been a rather unsavory girl, even as a teenager. It was at this time that Medusa met William and began to drift from her sister, leading the two down very different paths. "So I heard Soul and William saw each other a while ago. How did that go?"

"He issued a warning to Soul. Also, it appears that he's gone blind in one eye,"

"His left eye, by chance?"

"Soul didn't specify, but I'd assume as much," He said casually. He then cleared his throat, looking off to the side. "I was actually hoping that you could see if you could get a little more information out of him. I mean, I know he would never tell me, but you. Why, a woman as ravishing and sweet as you, my dear, would be more than able to convince a man to share his secrets. And I'd be more than grateful for the knowledge."

"Nice try, Timp. I know what you're trying to do," She chuckled lightly. She very calmly shifted her attention to some of the lacerations on the small red demon's arm. She picked up her usual healing cream and started to work it on to his arm. "Besides, William won't tell me anything about the future. He takes that condition of his position as a Reader very seriously."

"I don't need to know about the future, actually," The other said before wincing. The cream always stung when it was first applied. "I want to know what caused him to go blind. Readers are renowned for their perfect sight, and clearly William's is not."

"Well, I'll see what I can do for you, but I won't promise you anything concrete," She relented before turning her attention back to the task at hand. Her, being able to talk William Evans out of anything? What a laugh! If she had that ability, he never would have ended up in the brief marriage he shared with Masumi.

He never would have surrendered his heart and soul to that conniving tramp if anyone ever listened to Medusa Gorgon for a change.

…

It wasn't until three days later that the cream that Medusa had recommended worked well enough for Maka to start moving around on her own. Soul was not sure of the severity of her wounds but he did remember that she had been running around town for at least an hour trying to get far enough away from Giriko to call for help. He simply assumed that was a factor in her constant sleeping and hiding out in her room; being too tired and sore to move around. However, he realized after watching her wince with a few steps that maybe that wasn't quite right. She settled down on the futon near the kitchen, being careful of how much she leaned back, and glanced at him curiously. He had been in the process of preparing lunch for them (simple sandwiches with some potato chips on the side, since he was nowhere near the culinary wizard she proved to be) but paused, holding a piece of lettuce in one hand, a knife covered with mayo in the other, and wearing the stupid frilly apron Maka had decided to get for when she was working in there.

"You look ridiculous," She said suddenly, her face and tone completely blank. He stared back at her, taking in her appearance. She was wearing sweatpants, a baggy grey shirt that hung off one shoulder ever so slightly, and a pair of neon orange toe socks. There were bags under her eyes and her hair was knotted and starting to get a touch greasy. In his defense, though he **had** offered to help her take a bath but that got him a very tender slap across the face. She had then told him rather grouchily that she would wait until her back felt well enough for her to move around a little better.

"You're not much better off, sunshine," He scoffed before turning his attention back to making the sandwiches as he'd been doing. She glared at him and then glanced at his computer, resting on the coffee table.

"Hey, Soul," She asked suddenly, "can I borrow your computer real fast? I just want to check something."

Crimson orbs shifted from his work again and fixed back on her. She was just staring at the computer with this odd glint to her eyes. What was with her now? Was this just her fear of her mortality, after everything that happened with Giriko? Was she just rattled by how close she'd come to being taken to Lord Mosquito? Well, he wasn't going to test her emotional well-being at this point in time. Once she started to cheer up, maybe then he would. "Yeah, sure. There's no password on the guest account so just use that one," He called over before resuming his sandwich building.

She wasted no time in scrambling for the computer and settling it into her lap. Usually, Maka would just get on the internet on her phone, since her Papa had gotten her the plan that had unlimited text and data. However, Soul refused to give it back to her until her wounds were completely healed. He said he "didn't want her doing anything stupid" but he was pretty sure it was just to see her squirm. She had heard the little device pinging a few times over the last few days and it left her frantic.

She needed to check her email immediately.

She had the browser up and on the right site in seconds, typing her login information before the page had even finished loading up completely. She shifted through and threw away all the junk mail. She stared at her empty inbox silently, feeling a weight pulling at her heart, and it took all she had not to cry. She was struck with the need to call Black*Star and lock herself in her room and have a weep session with him.

But he was probably busy with Tsubaki.

"Hey, put the computer down. Food's up," Soul's voice snapped her from the daze and caused her to glance up, a paper plate being held toward her. She closed the window, shut the laptop, returned it to its previous spot, and then took the plate. Silence fell between them, filled only by the television, while she nibbled at her sandwich and shifted through her thoughts and disappointments. After finishing off the first half of her sandwich, she felt her eyes slowly drag toward her companion, whom is scowling at the program he ended up settling on.

There were few things she really knew about him, when she really thought about it. She knew he was a demon, he had a tendency to be a jackass, but he also had a decent heart and head. After all, he wasn't really taking too much fuss with helping her around while she was still healing up; he wasn't even whining about having to change her bandages or clean the nasty wounds on her back, nor had he exploded at her over her stupid actions being the cause of the whole thing. So maybe they really were becoming friends, or something similar to that.

And maybe she really could talk to him about this.

"After I got sent here I sent my Mama an email," She blurted out, still just staring at him. He stared at her, a chip in his mouth, before picking up the remote. He hit the mute button, set his plate to the side, and readjusted himself so he was better facing her. "I don't know what I expected her to do. Maybe I thought she'd come back and scream some sense into Papa. Maybe I thought she'd come and take me out of the country, to a place where they could never come after me. But… It's been two months since I sent her that message and she still hasn't answered me. And I know that she's been online; she's been on all her social sites, updating her information there. She just… She's ignoring me. She's ignoring me and pretending like I don't exist. I shouldn't be surprised, though, should I? I mean, she left me with my Papa despite knowing what he's like. And she's never come back to visit for the holidays or send cards or gifts or anything. So why? Why did I think that this time she'd care enough to come back for me?"

Soul decided to keep his mouth shut because what could he say? His father left because it was what was best for he and Wesley, never tried to rekindle that old relationship because he thought it would be best. His mother dedicated most of her life to making sure he was well-off and safe. Hell, she was dead for saving his life and a small part of him was bitter at himself for not doing more with his life up until the point he met Maka. Both his parents were supportive and had made huge sacrifices to try and keep him happy. He wasn't the kind of jackass who would angst when, compared to some, he had it pretty good.

"I just… I wanted to know she cared. She's been gone for so long and I… I don't understand why she left me behind," She hiccupped as the words left her. There, she was crying in front of him! She was pretty sure he'd get a kick out of this later, howling it up with Timp about how the stupid human girl cried, but she couldn't stop herself. "And now Black*Star's with Tsubaki and they're happy and all that shit! And I'm happy and all, but I just-! I try so hard to be a good person and follow the virtues my Mama raised me on and yet it's getting me nowhere! I'm only eighteen but I already feel like I'm going to end up alone and withered with a house full of pets and nothing to show for my efforts but a Goddamn degree that will amount to jack shit when I'm dead and gone!"

He moved slowly, so as not to startle her as her mind went into a system overload and her feelings left her sobbing hysterically. His hands rested against her cheeks and lift her head, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. "You're over thinking things, Maka," He said patiently, chuckling a bit when she let out a sniffling whimper. He could hear her getting ready to protest. "Look, if your mother doesn't see how wonderful you really are than she can go fuck herself. You're strong willed and intelligent. Are you a touch violent and vicious? Yeah, but it just proves you've got a lot of passion inside you. Just keep doing what you're doing any you'll be fine." She stared at him hard, her eyes still heavy with doubt and shining with tears. He decided to try a new tactic, as juvenile as it may be, to get her to pull herself together. "Hey, your tits may be tiny but your heart is quite big."

That earned him an annoyed growl and smack in the shoulder. She didn't pull away from his hands, though. "You're an ass. Like, you are the king of dicks," She snarled lightly, though there was not any real malice to it.

"That's 'Your Highness' to you, peasant," He hummed, his thumbs shifting to brush away the last few tears to fall from her eyes. Her eyes softened and the shine of her tears was gone in a few quick blinks.

"My apologies, My Lord," She said teasingly back, giggling shakily. He tilted his head a touch and watched her closer, wanting to be sure that she was actually feeling better. "Hey, thanks." She said before shifting closer and giving a quick peck on the cheek.

Well, that was certainly interesting! He jolted up right, one hand clapping to his cheek and the other falling to his lap. Jade orbs widened as a faint blush marred her demonic guard's face, his eyes wide with surprise. "Um," He managed out after a second of trying to collect his thoughts. That was the best he could get out.

"What, never been kissed before?" She asked in hopes of making light of the situation. He seemed to snap out of his daze at her words and, suddenly, he leaned closer to her so that he was in her personal space bubble. The roles were suddenly reversed, as she became the blushing tense mass while Soul's eyes shifted to what she could only describe as being hooded. She didn't have any experience with "bedroom eyes" being directed at her personally, but she'd seen her idiot father and Black*Star make them oft enough to know what it was like.

Seeing the ruby red eyes of her admittedly sexy bodyguard staring at her like that, though? It was sending the poor blonde's nerd brain into overload. "Never been kissed on the cheek by someone who wasn't blood related. The fact that you did, though… Damn, you really are a prude, aren't you?" He chuckled lightly, not looking away from her as he spoke.

A part of Maka told her that she should say something, break eye contact, because he was getting closer. She could feel his breath ghosting on her lips, filling her with a kind of curious desire she'd never experienced. Instead of listening to most of the alarms going off in her head, however, she decided to speak instead. "And you're a little bit of a man-whore, aren't you?"

"Call me a novice, if you will. Now, let this novice teach you a little something," And then his lips were on hers ever so gently. He wasn't going to force the kiss on her, if she didn't want it. She was free to reject him (though he did admit he'd probably need some time to pout if she did) but she didn't. Easing into it slowly but surely, he watched her eyes slowly droop and her lips meet his own. With her deciding to partake in the lesson, he found it much easier to start the lesson proper.

Add on the little jolts of electricity that came along with her compliance, and he was a very happy camper.

He kept it simple and gentle, one hand shifting her head to deepen the lip-lock ever so slightly. He was greeted with a pleased purr and her hand fisting in his shirt, a positive sign to him. He didn't wrap his arm around her waist like he wanted to, fearing he'd disturb her still sore injuries, so instead he left one hand to cradle the side of her jaw and neck, while the other hand come to cup her free hand gently. He gave a small squeeze before pulling back. She was lightly flushed, eyes hazy with excitement and delight, and she squeezed his hand right back urgently. He was just about to dive in for a second taste of her when the door flew open and in stomped Timp and a man he'd never seen before.

"Ah and this it- Soul, Maka, what are you doing?" Timp's tone was a textbook example of suspicion, and sent the two youngsters flying apart from one another by a few feet. Soul threw one arm around the back of the couch, the other on an arm rest, while Maka laced hers in her lap.

"Nothing. So, who's Four-Eyes?" He asked, looking at the grey haired male standing beside his mentor.

"Doctor Stein! What are you doing here?" Maka gasped, jumping to her feet and turning to face the adult.

He appeared to be around his early to mid thirties, from what Soul could judge from his stance, despite the fact that his hair was a pepper shade typical of men in their late fifties. Silver-grey eyes glinted with something that could only label as interest and amusement. Maka cleared her throat lightly, indicating the man with one hand. "Soul Eater, this is Doctor Stein. He's an old friend of my Papa's and has been the family medical doctor for as long back as I can remember. Doctor Stein, this is-!"

"Oh, I know who this boy is," The other chuckled. Something about the way he spoke got under Soul's nerves. "Your father has said quite a few things about him, both kind and unkind."

"Tch. I've only met the bastard once! What's he got against me?"

"He's rather angry that he can't visit Maka. Which is part of the reason that I'm here," Stein, as he was called, chimed casually. He then reached into the suede jacket he was wearing and pulled out a few documents. "I also came to give you a copy of Maka's medical history. You needed to know her allergies, right?"

"Yes. I'll go take these downstairs to Elizabeth while you three chat," Timp said, taking the folder and shuffling out. Maka stood up next, giving a lock of hair a lazy tug.

"Doctor, make yourself comfy out here, okay? I need to shower and change real fast; I look terrible," She said before turning to head to her room to gather up clean clothes. She paused in the doorway and looked back at Soul over her shoulder. There was a bright spark there that revealed a lot to his eyes; hope, curiosity, and a small bit of fear. "And you; play nice while I'm gone."

"I make no guarantees," He scoffed back, a small smirk worming its way to his lips at the enraged huff he was answered with. Once Maka was gone he peeked one eye open and looked at the other male, whom was settling himself into the arm chair. It seemed to just call to medical professionals, Soul thought dully. He waited until Maka had locked herself into the bathroom to speak. "So, you've known Maka since she was a little kid? Has she always been so energetic?"

"Yes, she's always been a happy young lady with a tendency of turning inanimate objects into weapons. That was your actual question, correct?" Ah, so the man was sharper than Soul had anticipated. "I'll be honest; Maka's decisions are her own. And no matter what anyone says, she will always do what she wants instead of what is expected of her. I think that being around someone like you, who will clearly let her run relatively wild, is what unnerves Spirit the most. Demons are supposed to tempt and trick humans into commit one, if not all, of the seven deadly sins. Too bad for you Kami got to her first."

"And Kami is who, exactly?"

"Why, her mother, of course,"

Soul paused for a moment, staring hard at the human sitting in his living room. He clearly had no issue sharing Maka's personal history with the young demon. He also didn't seem to care that the girl's father had made it clear he didn't want his daughter spending too much time with Soul. Yet there he was, practically offering up personal information without expecting anything in return?

Only an idiot wouldn't take that chance.

"And what does that mean? I take pride in the fact that I've gotten Catholic school girls on their knees for me, I'll have you know," Soul said, tacking on an air of arrogance. This was not necessarily true (though a few of their more prudish clients had ended up doing complete flips when they saw who their bodyguard was) but he wanted to try and goad the other into answering without asking out right. The cool thing to do was to play the person you were pumping information from.

"Well, I am sure you've heard of the seven heavenly virtues, yes? The counter points of the seven deadly sins?" Stein asked with a raised eyebrow. Soul blinked, searching all the way back to when he was a child. Yes, his father had mentioned them a lot to him. "Kami raised Maka with the belief that she follow them."

"What were those things again? Wait… Hold on… There was chastity, abstinence, liberality, patience, kindness, diligence and h-!" Soul's eyes widened and he glanced toward the bathroom door.

How had he not figured it out sooner? His father was making reference to the seven heavenly virtues when they had spoken. He called Maka selfless; a synonym for the last of the virtues, humility. But what did that have to do with anything? So what if Maka was dedicated to trying her best to following the heavenly virtues? What difference did that make to him?

Or was it a sign from his father that things between he and Maka could never work out? After all, he was a Reader; he could see a humans' future if he wanted to.

End

Notes:

This update is brought to you by my having some peace of mind. Yup, things are finally kinda looking up. I'm registered for my Spring semester of class, I'm making enough money to support myself, and my love life looks like it might actually start developing. So, this has helped pull me a bit out of my rut and I should be able to get things to pick up some during the next few weeks. (Also, don't worry, Stein will be showing up some more).

Also, left the link to the site I was looking at to get the information on the 7 sins and virtues on my profile, for those of you who might be interested.

Next Chapter:

She perked up, golden eyes blazing, as she glared around the corner at the trio that haunted her worst memories. It took all her strength to not charge at him and tear him to pieces, use her magic to tear out his insides, after everything he had put her through. It was then she felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn around and release an enraged hiss. "Settle down now, Blair. I think you and I can help one another," The smooth, calm voice of her boss cooed. She forced herself to calm down some, but her ears remain tipped downward, in warning that if he didn't cut to the chase she'd slice his nose right off.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I do own the plot.

Chapter Ten

Lord Mosquito took a long drag from the cigar resting between his lips, looking at his trio of bounty hunters coldly. Arachne was cleaning the sutures reconnecting Giriko's arm to his shoulder, smoothing some sort of magic salve over it, while he swore on and on about how much it hurt. The young demon had been quite the sight, walking in the club in his sad state, carrying one arm in the other while his bloody stump of a shoulder leaked blood all over the floor. The money that would be spent cleaning or replacing the carpet (depending on how bad the damage really was) would be taken out of their budget, once that business was all started up. Justin was standing beside the bed his comrades were resting on while observing their head boss, as if waiting for him to snap and attack.

The old demon plucked the cigar from his lips and glared at them. "This was quite the spectacular failure on your part," He said for the umpteenth time in the last few days.

"You keep saying that but if we're fucking up so damn bad why don't you go get the girl yourself? You and that old bastard can duke it out and then you can continue bitchin' at me!" Giriko snapped curtly. He then snarled openly at his female associate, his good arm shifting as if he went to smack her. "And you! Why the fuck don't you numb the damn area before you start working? It stings like a bitch!"

"I am not going to numb the area because it is part of your punishment and you know it," Arachne mused indifferently, not even glancing up. Giriko dropped his good arm and released a wordless roar. "You were the one who forgot to lock the doors and you are the one who could not handle fighting Cernunnos, whom is far too old to be able to do this kind of damage to you. He is a few years older than Lord Mosquito, after all."

"The bastard was in his true form!"

"All the more reason that this is such a glorious example of failure," Justin piped in, shifting his gaze to his red-headed companion before looking back at their ring leader. One dark brow was quirked and a hand was rolled, indicating that he continue on with his explanation. "Well, as a demon gets older, it is harder for them to maintain control of all their powers at once, so they have to adopt an easier form to hold. Lord Mosquito is an exception, of course, because one of his many talents is the manipulation of his outward age, so as long as it is one of the only powers he leans on he has nothing to worry. For other demons it falls into one of two scenarios; either they take on an "energy-saving" form that is a medium on a difficulty scale to maintain while having restricted abilities or they take a form that seals all those powers away.

Each different form has its own perks, of course. When you take the middle ground approach you are guaranteed protection and power for emergencies. With the held in form, however, you can unleash all of your power for a short amount of time. When you have an excessive amount of power than it can help you take out targets that, for all appearances, should not be such a daunting task. And then there's you - who is still young and strong and doesn't need to hide his strength – in yet you were knocked around like a simple plaything. Your 'true strength' is apparently less than a demon more than twice your age. That is why Lord Mosquito is expressing so much annoyance and disappointment with your performance. Or, rather, I assume as much. Am I correct, My Lord?"

"Very well-put, Justin," The demon praised, smirking slightly when he saw his shark-toothed employee getting ready to lunge at the human. Arachne tugged Giriko back into place as she started to put a clean wrap around his wound. "Either way, didn't you make simple work of his apprentice a few years back? It was what you were able to do to those people all those years ago that I hired you on in the first place. Such ruthlessness is a necessity for me, I'm afraid."

"Well, before you go lecturin' me, Justin didn't lift a fuckin' finger to help me either! He could have thrown some holy water him or some bullshit!"

"That's just uncouth. Besides, you know I don't carry those kinds of items around unless I am given instructions to specifically bring them," The other huffed, blue eyes narrowed with insult. Arachne rolled her eyes, deciding not to waste her breath in telling her boys not to fight, got up and called downstairs to ask for a bottle of wine.

Lord Mosquito took the chance to go call down to the janitors and see if it would be possible to wash roughly two pints worth of blood from the carpet before coming back to try and come up with a proper plan to get him the girl he was promised.

Downstairs, Alex flagged down Blair, whom had been coming in with an empty tray of drinks. Normally the busty cat demon would be out there working the crowds, mingling with men (secretly sneaking some cash from their pockets) and getting herself appointments for the night, but Lord Mosquito had refused to put her back in her previous position. He had been enraged with her short-notice quit all those years ago, but had relented that she had always been one of their most popular girls. As such, she was on a probation period and left the task of handing out drinks instead.

The money was not nearly as good as it used to be, but it was still a paycheck and some tips and it bought the catnip.

"Blair, can you take this bottle of wine upstairs to Private Room number 323, please? I'd do it myself but… Well, there's someone here to see me," Alex confessed, pressing scaled hands to their face. Blair couldn't fight back a smile and nodded, taking the bottle. Despite being a beautiful person, both inside and out, very few people ever saw that in Alex. Mostly because they couldn't tell if Alex was male or female, a normal issue for lizard demons. To Blair, though, it was obvious! Alex was clearly-! "And do be careful; the wine is going to Lord Mosquito's bounty hunters. They are quite… Energetic, to say the least."

"Don't worry about a thing, sweetie; Bu-Tan can handle herself pretty well! Now, don't keep your honey waiting nyah~!" She waggled her fingers, grinning impishly, before she twirled on the points of her heels and scuffled toward the elevator. There was a total of three elevators in Chupa Cabra's in total; two were for customer use and the third was only in the back, where the meals and drinks were mixed. Only employees and a select few patrons new about the exclusive elevator because it was only used for rush deliveries.

And given who it was that ordered the wine, Blair couldn't help but figure that she'd be safe in using said elevator this one time.

She walked along the hallway, humming to herself, and paused just in front of the door. She could hear bickering inside. "Well, I guess everyone has fights. But you'd think professional bounty hunters wouldn't do that too often," She mumbled, ears twitching slightly. That voice… That hoarse, angry snarl of a voice! She knew that voice all too well! Not trusting her ears, she set the wine down on the floor next to the door and cracked it open just a smidge.

She locked on the spiky red hair immediately, her tail starting to bristle out in fury and horror.

She perked up, golden eyes blazing, as she glared around the corner at the trio that haunted her worst memories. It took all her strength to not charge at him and tear him to pieces, use her magic to tear out his insides, after everything he had put her through. It was then she felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn around and release an enraged hiss. "Settle down now, Blair. I think you and I can help one another," The smooth, calm voice of her boss cooed. She forced herself to calm down some, but her ears remain tipped downward, in warning that if he didn't cut to the chase she'd slice his nose right off.

Lord Mosquito pushed the door the rest of the way open and whistled, leading the indigo haired woman in with an arm draped over her shoulders. "Everyone, I hope you don't mind, but I've brought a guest in to give us another point of view in how to proceed. And I think she'll be quite helpful, indeed," He chuckled, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

Giriko quirked an eyebrow and snarled lowly. "What can she do?" He growled, taking a step forward.

An orange sphere of light sparked to existence in Blair's hand and she glared at him. "I may seem like a lady, but I can still scrap like the most furious of alley cats," She warned darkly.

Mosquito's smirk widened even more. "Please, take a seat and let's begin," He purred, barely containing his excitement. Now it seemed that he had the ball in his court.

…

"Well, it seems like you've been a busy little bee since the last time we spoke," Stein said with a sentimental gleam in his eyes, taking a small sip of his drink. He'd been there for a little over two hours, visiting with Maka, and he could tell that the demon in the room was eagerly awaiting his departure. See, Franken Stein had this one special attribute to him, like some humans did; he could tell what people wanted and liked to make them earn it. On top of that, it was just hilarious to watch someone squirm underneath the weight of his leverage. "I'm sure Spirit will be glad to hear you are doing so well. And I really do worry if you're as safe here as you seem to think."

"You don't need to worry. As long as I don't break the rules again Soul can take care of me just fine," She said, stealing a quick glance at the demon. He smirked at her, eyes sparkling in a way that made her blush and want to hit him. "And tell Papa to keep his fears to himself. He's the reason I'm in this situation in the first place." She made sure to turn away from the grinning bastard next to her, focusing instead on Stein.

"Well, either way, I think I'll be coming by to visit every few days to make sure of that. I'm sure you don't mind, do you, Soul Eater?" The other asked, smiling in a way meant to be polite but seemed like a warning. It was probably the fact that he was twiddling a scalpel that seemed to appear from nowhere between his fingers.

"As long as your ties with Spirit are not obvious or easy to follow it shouldn't be an issue. But let me make it clear that if you get seen with him by one of Maka's pursuers, I'll be kicking you out like I did with the electric blue ape that botched up big time the other day," Soul said with a casual shrug.

"Wait, you told Black*Star he couldn't come to see me anymore? Why?" She blurted out, eyes setting into a glare.

He shot her a bland look and chuckled. "Well, let's see here; he's a health risk, he's a self-centered moron and he has no respect for authority. On top of that, I just plain don't like him. I don't care how much pride that guy is just dripping with; I take my job very seriously,"

"Ah, so it was Black*Star that got Maka in the position that caused these injuries? I don't blame you for wanting to keep him at a distance, then. Safety first, and all that,"

"You see that? The medical professional agrees with me that he's a hazard," He kept his shit-eating grin in place as he spoke, Maka's glare growing murderous with each word that came from him. Stein sensed the tension and, while the two were focused on one another, decided to slip out. He remembered years ago witnessing a few fights between Maka's father and mother.

And if Maka was anything like either of her parents, Stein decided that escape was better than being dragged in as referee.

"He's one of my only friends, Soul," Maka growled out lowly, standing up with her fists at her sides. Soul shifted so that he was better facing her, just in case he needed to dodge or block a blow. "I know you're mad about what happened but it was my fault as much as it was his. I listened to him even though I knew it was against the rules I agreed to."

"And what was his award-winning speech that managed to convince you to listen to him? He doesn't seem like a well-read fellow; or maybe you're just a lot more gullible than I original believed?" He asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Her cheeks flushed in a mix of anger and embarrassment at his words. She felt like an idiot when she thought about it, more so now. Black*Star's words were left buzzing about in her ear again, and the images that came with were unpleasant. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to my room to rest," She huffed, turning to storm away.

Soul followed after her, sliding past so that he was directly in her path. "No, I think you and I need to talk about this. What did he say to get under your skin? Did he call you a coward, having to hire a bodyguard to fight your battles? Or did he question your faith in him, not going to him for help first?" He placed one hand against the wall of the hallway, leaning in closer to Maka. There was no way she could get away from him; he could catch her with either arm in this position, much to her annoyance. "If whatever it is that is developing between us is going to be serious than you need to be honest with me."

She jolted up, eyes wide as they locked on him. There was no teasing glint to his eyes, no telltale sign that was he was saying was meant as a prank or a lie. If anything, he seemed to be oozing honesty and sincerity. He was letting it all out for her to see and do with as she would. "Can… Can I really trust you?" She asked meekly, forcing herself to hold his gaze. She refused to relent, to be seen as a coward. If he was going to be upfront and honest with her then she was going to give him the same. "You're a demon. You're kind are known for lying, for tricking humans to sin. Can I really trust you?"

Soul pondered for a moment before a thought came to him. "Stay here. I think I have an idea that might work in getting you to trust me," He said, stepping back a bit before turning around and walking toward the office. He set to rummaging through the cabinets and the drawers of the desk. If he knew Timp (and he was certain that he knew that old bastard pretty well) than he had to have the item Soul was looking for. The only real question was as to where he had put it. He suddenly perked up and headed back toward the file cabinet, pulling out the last drawer. Everything was kept alphabetized, but very few of their clients had last names that started with Y or Z, so it made for the perfect hiding place. He shifted the mostly empty folders out of his way and pulled out the oblong shaped velvet box, opening it to make sure the item itself was still there.

Yup, that was most certainly what he was looking for.

With that little victory, he walked back to the hall, where a bemused Maka stood waiting. She glanced at the box he held and tilted her head. "What's that?"

"This, mortal," He said in a light tone while opening the box again and holding it toward her, "was my mother's favorite magic pendant. I'm not sure what power it holds, exactly, since it only activates when it links up with a very specific kind of demonic soul, but my mother never went a day without wearing it. Before she died she told me to hold on to and give it to my daughter if I ever settled down to care for. Since I think I'm a few years off from that, however, I'm going to ask you to watch after it."

It was a simple little trinket, really. It was on a black chain that shimmered slightly in the low light, but the jewel was something to be awed by. It twinkled like a star, shifting between a blazing red, to a soothing orange, then an energizing yellow, an enchanting green, a rich blue tint and lastly a shocking violet. It reminded Maka vaguely of a mood ring only it seemed much more efficient with its changing colors, but she knew that was inaccurate since this necklace changed more quickly than any mood ring she'd ever seen. "I don't understand. I mean, I'm asking how I can trust you, not if you can trust me," She said, preparing to push it back to him.

It was not just that, but also the fact it was an item of jewelry that held a deeper meaning to him. She didn't know if she could live up to the expectation that would come with it.

Soul removed the item from the box, walked over and started to put it around her neck. "In order to be trusted, one must first offer up trust of their own," He said simply while snapping the hook into the catch. He grabbed Maka by her shoulders, twirled her around, and looked at the necklace. The colors changed faster until they finally settled on a hue between orange and yellow, a shade that was bright but not too much so. "Looks good to me." He smirked at her.

"Why did it stop?" She asked, looking down and reaching up to touch it tentatively. She was pleased when she didn't get burned, shocked, poisoned or any of the other things she almost sort of expected to happen. Soul had said it was a magic piece of jewelry… Then again, he also said it only reacted to demonic souls, so technically she should be safe, right?

"It does that when it decides on the kind of soul the person wearing it has. I didn't expect it to stop, though, since it's a demonic tool," He said thoughtfully. He then shrugged it off, deciding to instead as Timp about it when he came back up from tending to all that paperwork stuff that came with having Maka's medical files. "Oh well. It's a good color for you."

She scowled at him and then looked back down at the necklace. "'In order to be trusted, one must first offer up trust of their own', huh? Who taught you that saying?" She asked curiously, letting go of the necklace and following Soul back to the futon.

His mind flashed back, briefly, to a room that smelt like milk and honey. He remembered the sound panels on the beige walls, meant to help keep the sound from travelling too far out of the room. Various instruments strewn about in different kinds of cases – some made of plastic and others wooden with polyester covers – and an inky black piano that looked as if it had never seen a bad day or minor accident. He remembered the feel of the polish wood of the lid as he had lifted it and leaning back against someone else's back as his small hands covered the much larger ones to be shown how to play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

He had almost forgotten the few years his parents had been married, the few times his father had ever been around, and the bonding moments they shared at with only one another and the piano keys.

"I think Timp probably said it to me once. Don't really remember, it's been so long," He bluffed, feigning a yawn to avoid meeting her skeptical gaze. When he gave up that ruse she didn't press it any farther, merely settling back into her spot next to him quietly. He shifted, letting his arm drop over her shoulders and pull her just a touch closer. "Anyway, back to the first issue, both you and your good friend Blue*Berry are just going to have to deal with the fact that from now on I'll be monitoring your play dates."

"His name is Black*Star," She retorted, only a small undertone of annoyance in her words.

"Ask me if I care, darling,"

"I know you don't but I'm still going to correct you," She couldn't help but smile lightly at the hearty laugh she was rewarded with, taking a touch of relief in it and deciding she'd continue the war later on.

End

Notes:

Sorry this chapter is so short but let's just say things got hard again. However, I shall not be surrendering! I'm going to try and crank some more updates out before school starts and have a few more ideas that I'm not going to discuss just yet. I am, however, interested in two things. One, in regards to the little tid-bits I add at the end that reveal a few things about the next chapter, do you like the actual spoiler thing I'm doing now, where there's some text that will be in the next chapter there more than just giving you three sentences with spoiler-esque things in them? Just wondering because I'm debating on which one I'd rather stick with.

As for the second question, I've posted a new poll in regards to which of my next projects more of you would like to see, regarding the ones that I have no information posted on my profile about. The options are vague, mostly so you don't know what's going on in my devious little brain. Would you all be so sweet as to vote for me, please~?

Next Chapter:

He was not used to the sharp, stabbing jolt that made him feel like he should sit down. After all, he had never been in a relationship that ended because of an affair. Then again, maybe he should have known? After all, Blair had seemed distracted in the weeks leading up to this, as if her mind was elsewhere. Of course it was another man; he should have seen it coming and just accepted it.

But the trick of it was he really didn't see it coming. No matter how he viewed it, it was never obvious to him.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I do own the plot.

Chapter Eleven

The little vial fell to Kid's desk with a noisy clatter, scattering a few of his pens, forcing him to glance up from his computer monitor and raise an eyebrow at his guest. The other pantomimed hanging the phone up, pointed at the vial and then held up a familiar packet of documents. "Yes, I understand, Father. I'm terribly sorry to have to end the call early but something came up and it needs my immediate attention. Yes. Thank you, Father, and I'll let Elizabeth know to keep her schedule open so we can do a family dinner on Sunday," He hung up and let out a small sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. He then turned and looked at the other, eyes narrowed in slight annoyance. "Well, Timp, what have you got for me this time?"

"I found something that can get Mosquito and his trio of lackeys taken out permanently; and I mean something that is illegal in both realms. This is big, Kid, and we're going to be blowing the lid right off of it," The older demon said seriously. That got the young Shinigami to jolt up and glance at the door. Thankfully, it appeared his associate had taken care to make sure it was locked.

With that he picked up the vial and examined the contents through the glass. It took him a moment but then he realized what the silver dust reminded him off. "Is this…?" He dared not say the name of one of the most outlawed drugs that demon-kind had ever made, even knowing that there was no way they'd be overheard.

"Yes. I realized it when I went in to talk with him. He ordered us mermaid fin stew, and then I saw the eyes of his female human workers. Mermaid fin cannot be eaten with the scales still attached, but that works out well. The scales can be ground into a fine powder and used in other things; such as what I was able to get a small sample of here," He said, tipping his head toward the vial. He was very grateful that Alex had been willing to sneak into her bosses' chambers and locate what Timp had asked; and it would only cost him dinner and a trip to the opera for two, a small price given his comrade was a beauty beyond compare. "This drug is too potent to be used under either human or demon law; long time exposure leads to addiction. And with this drug, quitting cold turkey can lead to severe brain damage, seizures and typically death. Withdrawal symptoms, even when weaning one off of it slowly, can still cause serious issues. The consequences outweigh the perks of the drug and Lord Satan himself has made it clear it is never to be used."

"It doesn't surprise me that someone like Lord Mosquito would use this, but it does surprise me that we're the first to notice," Kid commented, sliding the vial back across the table to the other. Holding that accursed poison made him feel like he needed to take a hot shower.

"I doubt that we are, but we're also the first ones that have probably not tried to use it to their advantage stupidly," Timp scoffed, grabbing the small vial and returning it to his coat pocket for safe keeping. He settled into one of the seats and crossed one leg over the other in thought. "Other demons of a higher standing such as us would most likely have noticed and tried to blackmail him with the information. There in which lies the trick; we are going to go straight to both the human police forces as well as the demonic ones."

"Getting the human police involved won't be hard but the demonic authorities? You'd have to get to Satan himself to get this handled as quickly as you want and that's next to impossible to do. You have to be a Reader in order to get in without waiting on a long list just to get an appointment,"

"I know," Timp said bitterly, scowling out the window. There was a bird sitting on a tree, a cardinal, that was watching them with a cocked head. "I've already called ahead to Medusa and asked her to talk to William on my behalf. Hopefully he won't mind offering me his help."

He was left sick and annoyed at having to ask that **pathetic** excuse of a demon for help, but it was all for the greater purpose. After all, Maka was a client and this could also get Mosquito out of his hair. And Arachne and her crew, since he had no doubt in his mind that she had a hand in helping to make the banished concoction, would be forced to pay for their sins against Masumi and Wesley too.

"As long as you tell him that it will help Soul's girlfriend it shouldn't be an issue, right? After all, he just wants Soul to be happy, right?" The younger suggested evenly.

Timp let out another muffled noise of annoyance. "Well, I'm not sure if they can be called that. They haven't exactly put a label on it, and when I asked Soul about it, he said he hadn't asked her if that's what they were. They certainly kiss and cuddle enough for me to be unable to view them as anything else," He grumbled bitterly. He wasn't necessarily as angry or bitter as he liked to play it off, really. After all, Soul seemed genuinely happy with Maka around, and the young blonde was good at reining him in. The two interacted well and, despite having sworn humans would never serve any purpose other than playthings and quick snacks, Soul had warmed up to her.

Maka was feisty, quick-witted and wouldn't take any of Soul's crap. On top of that, she had a pure soul; something that called to the instincts of Soul's less-than-nurtured Reader blood.

"Regardless of titles, however, I'm surely going to play it off that way when I talk to William. I need him to help me with this and I'm not against lying to make it happen," He shrugged, standing and walking toward the window. From his pocket he produced a small coin, flicking it into the air casually. "Taking Lord Mosquito and his little pals out will be a delight, so consider it the reward I'm looking forward to. Acts of demons killing other demons are not something the law cares to try and regulate so Giriko never had to pay for what he did to Masumi and Wesley. This will assure he gets punished and that I'll be able to uphold the deal we've made with Mr. Albarn about his daughter's safety."

"Two birds with one stone, correct? It's a tried and true method of business, I assume," Kid agreed patiently. The young Shinigami reorganized his pens into a neat little row with a small, content grin. "Then again, you've always been one of the most intelligent and lethal of the old demons. It only makes sense that you would be able to make this all work for your gain in every aspect of the situation."

"I assume you are correct," The other answered absently, narrowing his eyes at the bird. If he was truly as good as everyone said he was, and as he once thought he was, though, would his apprentice have fallen for the human girl in the first place? And, even farther to question, wouldn't Masumi still be alive if he was as great a teacher as he was praised to be?

…

The plan had been simple enough, really. Maka had needed to go back to the college today to get her books replaced and handle some last minute things with her scholarships and such. It would only take an hour or so, and since Soul didn't want a repeat of last time, he had settled for wandering around the campus while she was busy. Originally he planned to stay with her, but there was actually a line and they were toward the end, with roughly nine or ten people ahead of them. She had promised him to stay in the office until he came back and, deciding to trust her to her word, he had gone exploring.

He was left frozen, heart racing with emotions he thought he'd gotten over years before, when he saw a grinning purple cat watching him.

She was sitting atop the fence like she herself owned it and she slowly rose from her rest. "There you are, my precious little Scythey Boy! Has that mean old human of yours let you off your leash for a little bit?" She crooned merrily, stretching and hopping down. In a small plume of grey smoke, she appeared in her human form. Not much about her had changed, it seemed; same hair style, same tight black dress and funky black hat. Looking at her eyes, however, brought all those emotions back as if it were the first time all over again.

He was not used to the sharp, stabbing jolt that made him feel like he should sit down. After all, he had never been in a relationship that ended because of an affair. Then again, maybe he should have known? After all, Blair had seemed distracted in the weeks leading up to this, as if her mind was elsewhere. Of course it was another man; he should have seen it coming and just accepted it.

But the trick of it was he really didn't see it coming. No matter how he viewed it, it was never obvious to him.

That was then, though, and now she was just a hindrance to what he was doing with his life. She was a risk to him and the people that had come to mean something to him again. Like a light switch, his instincts to fight and win and kill sparked to the forefront of his mind. Soul's arm turned into a blade and he took a step toward her, eyes narrowed in a suspicious glare. "What do you want, Blair?"

She held one hand against her heart, plastering on a hurt expression. "Oh, you're being so mean to me~! What have I done to make you so angry nyah? I left you five years ago, like you told me to," She said softly. Her eyes darkened as she walked closer, clearly not intimidated like he'd been hoping. "The Old Imp has poisoned you against me, but I can forgive all this meanness from you. After all, Bu-Tan has hurt you, too. So how about you and I just leave and start all over again, in another city far from here?" Her index and middle fingers lightly walked along the flat of his blade, eyes watching her own hand before looking up at him pleadingly through her lashes. "Bu-Tan has just been so lonely without her Scythey Boy to help keep her safe and warm at night."

"You should have thought about that before you fucked my brother," Soul snarled lightly, yanking his blade and twisting. The fish hook-esque curve at the tip caught Blair's wrist a touch, leaving a sizable cut. He smirked at the displeased yowl she released, yanking the limb back to herself and lapping at the blood slowly swelling from the tear. He lunged at her, aiming a swing at her side, only to have her side-step away from his attack. "You should have thought about that before you fucked Giriko! You should have used what little fucking brains you have to not tell Giriko who else you were sleeping with! Maybe if you'd done that he wouldn't have killed my brother and my mother right in front of my eyes!" He bellowed, coming at her again.

"Pum-Pum-Pumpkin! Smashing Pumpkin!" Blair cried in retaliation, her hands glowing with her magic. A glowing, Jack-O-Lantern like blast came careening at Soul but he didn't back down. Instead, he knelt and held his blade up in a defensive position. It cut the energy ball in half, sending the now split burst in opposing directions. Two trees took the brunt of the explosion in his stead, both catching flame and releasing earth-shaking crackling noises at the moment of impact. The she-cat took a small step backwards, eyes wide with fear.

The deep ruby orbs fixed on her were not the eyes of one of the many men she'd loved in her life; they were the eyes of a man ready to wet his hands in blood. Or, in specific, **her **blood.

He glanced over his shoulder at the twin blazes and let out a hollow little laugh. "Oh, would you look at that? It seems you've actually been working on increasing your powers. Well, so have I," He chuckled lightly while turning back to her. She stepped back again, glancing around frantically in hopes of an escape or a witness.

There was no one in sight. Blair gulped nervously, ears twitching downward and twisting up like horns in anger. "It seems you want to play rough. Well, that's fine. Bu-Tan will simply have to knock you out and move you to a more suitable location to discuss our situation," She snarled warningly, her hand starting to glow again with her powers. She threw another blast at him, rushing toward the left in hopes of getting him while he was distracted.

Instead, Soul twisted his blade toward her, the side of his blade facing the blast and directing it toward her. It slammed into her side, a yowl of pain coming from her as she slid along the ground. "We're not going anywhere. Well, I'm not… But I'll be sending you back down to Hell in a less than pleasant way. And this time you won't be coming back," He shrugged before launching at her again, his blade catching her shoulder and tearing down to her elbow when she tried to leap away.

Blair screeched in a mix of outrage and pain, grasping at the now gushing wound and watching Soul with contempt. Had that little red bastard really caused Soul to hate her this much? Had he really been this thoroughly brain-washed against her? Well, Lord Mosquito had given her something for this! She let go of her injured limb, narrowly skirting past another angry swipe from her ex-lover, and reached into her pocket frantically for the little needle she'd been given. Her nails clicked lightly against the little plastic case that guarded her from accidentally injecting herself. She pulled it out and jumped away again, this time getting a small scratch along her cheek from taking too long in evading.

Soul paused, staying where he was, watching her suspiciously. She yanked the top off the syringe with her teeth and spat it at the ground, her ears twitching back to their usual standing point. She could hear people starting to clamor toward them from the commotion they'd caused, meaning she was going to have to pick up her pace just a little bit. She paced the syringe in her mouth sideways before a puff of smoke enveloped her. Soul snarled lowly, rushing toward the smoke cloud, knowing what she had done.

She was transforming into a cat. And he was pretty sure whatever was in that syringe was meant to be given to Maka.

He stabbed his scythe toward the ground, just as the smoke cleared, only to be left startled to find the area was rather vacant. "What the Hell?" He mumbled, turning to look left and then to the right. On his right side, however, he was blindsided by indigo fur just before a sharp, quick stabbing sensation tingled up from his neck. He reached up and grabbed Blair, flinging her to the ground roughly, but not before she was able to empty the contents into his systems. "What was the shit you just put in me?" He bellowed angrily.

Blair merrily giggled before stretching herself out on the ground, making herself look weak and limp. "This is going to be a guessing game nyah~! Let's see how long it takes you to figure out nyah~!" She sang before she closed her eyes. When she opened them, they were filled with pain and fear.

Soul was just about to question it when he heard loud gasps and shrieks of terror. "You've gotta be kidding me," He groaned, turning around to face a crowd of horrified young people staring at him. Some of them were demons, some of them human, but what got Soul was when his eyes locked with a pair of all-too-familiar green eyes.

Oh, yeah, he was about to have to explain. And fast, judging by those angry stomps she was taking toward him.

"Soul, what the Hell is all this?" She snapped, pointing around her. She then paused when Blair released a pathetic, shaky mewl of pain. She covered her mouth with one hand and darted over, carefully looking the fluffy attacker over. "Oh, you poor thing!" She then glared back up at Soul. "A **cat**, Soul? You were **attacking** a **cat**?"

"You don't understand, Maka! She's no normal cat; she's-!" And suddenly, just like that, he couldn't talk. It wasn't that he didn't want to, or he was afraid of the feisty blonde human, nope. He honestly **could not speak**, no matter how hard he tried to force the words to come out of throat. He stood there, trying so hard to speak, but he simply looked like a sharp-toothed stooge with his mouth hanging open.

Maka sighed lightly before looking at the burning trees in the background. "I didn't know, nor did I want to know, that you could summon fire too," She mumbled while carefully picking Blair up and cradling her close. Of course the damned beast started purring as soon as Maka was coddling and cooing at her like she was a baby or something else innocent and deserving of such treatment. "Poor dear. Did that mean old Soul come after you and give you all these injuries? Well, don't you worry! We'll take you home with us, get you all patched up and then get you some fish. Doesn't that sound nice?" She mused while starting to walk away, carefully rolling a shoulder to reset the strap of her messenger bag without disturbing the hurt animal in her arms.

"Are you kidding me, Maka?" Soul snapped, chasing after her.

He was answered with a glare. "When he get home you are going to help me clean up the wounds and bandage her all up. And then you're going to get her something to eat since you started this whole business," She said blandly before resuming her irritated march to his bike. Blair glanced briefly over Maka's shoulder at him and sneered, golden eyes glinting with malice.

End

Notes:

I'm sorry this update is so short. Let's just say that me and college… Yeah, we ain't getting' on so well just yet. Plus there's a whole bunch of other stuff I'm kinda stressing over that'll be happening in the next few months. But I promise I will try to get on a normal updating schedule!

Next Chapter:

He couldn't help but laugh, rubbing his head where the girl had delivered the blow to his cranium. "My, you certainly are an interesting one, aren't you?" He laughed lightly. Despite his friendly tone and easy stance, it was clear this girl was not having any of it; he was still a demon in her eyes, after all. "I didn't mean to frighten you, dear. Please, take a seat and put the book down and we can talk. How does that sound?"


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I do own the plot.

Chapter Twelve

He was very displeased, to say the least. He was sitting there, watching Maka coo soothingly at Blair while she carefully wrapped the gash along her front leg. Golden eyes were half-crested, deep rumbling purrs echoing from her throat. "Yeah, you're going to be just fine, sweetie," The green eyed young woman mused before glancing at Soul sideways. He was sitting there, disgruntled and huffy, lightly rapping his fingers along the kitchen table to show his annoyance. She rolled her eyes, giving the feline another once-over to make sure she didn't miss any wounds, before she carefully lifted the cat back up and set her on the futon. "Shouldn't you be going to get some fish for the cat? I did promise her fish and I said you were going to go get it." She remarked while gliding into the kitchen and getting out a small dish.

Soul got up from his chair, a small smirk worming its way on his lips. He had already figured out that whatever shit Blair had filled his veins with kept him from talking about her, but maybe he could get the point across to Maka through other means (1). Hell, he was Soul Eater; a man of action, not of word! He walked in to find her pulling the milk from the fridge. "Does the cat really need the fish right now? I mean, if she can keep her fur on for a little while we can just have Timp get the fish on his way home from talking with Kid," He mused, leaning on the counter in front of the small saucer Maka had brought down. She gave him a pointed look while taking off the plastic top.

"You're missing the principle of the whole thing, Soul. **You** were the one who attacked **her**, so **you** have to go pick up some food for her as **an apology**," She explained in a slow tone of voice, as if he was too dumb to follow her words if she wasn't slow. She started to pour a small, but far too generous, in his opinion, amount of milk into the saucer for the demonic she-cat lounging on the futon. He could practically feel Blair's eyes watching him with this smugness that made him want to just carve her eyes out of their sockets with his own fingers. Turned into tiny blades, of course, to assure the most damage and pain could be issued. "I know you're a demon but you're normally at least a little more agreeable than this." She said, recapping the fridge and putting it back in.

And that was when he went in to put his brilliant plan to get the message about Blair across to Maka into action.

He quickly twirled her around to face him, nudging the door shut with his knee and keeping her pinned between him and the kitchen appliance. He leaned closer, his forehead resting against hers and his eyes locked on her. He couldn't resist smirking a bit at the faint blush that adorned her cheeks, clashing and downright crying outrage against the scowl her lips had twisted into. "Well, normally you give me a little more incentive than just 'it's the right thing to do' nowadays. Want me to switch the laundry load for you? That's fine, but then I get some time reintroducing your lips and mine. Want me to do the dinner dishes so that you can go finish some homework? Only if I get some up-close-and-personal time with you afterwards. With less restrictions on the tricks my hands can play, of course," He purred in a low tone, shifting one of his knees between hers.

"Soul, this isn't me asking a favor of you," She said in a low, warning growl. To him, however, it sounded more like a shaky whimper. And that to the fact that her hands were still at her sides, not trying to actively push him away, he took that as a sign his plan could end up working out for him. "You are going to do this because you messed up, and this is how you're going to make it right."

He shrugged, reaching up and twirling her hair from one pigtail around his index finger while his other hand settled on her hip, slowly inching its way to her lower back. "It's your own fault, you know. You've gone ahead and spoiled me," He mused before leaning down, letting his lips just graze against the junction between her shoulder and neck. He gave a little nip, earning a small squeak and shudder from her.

"Spoiled you? Oh, please; you're just being a greedy little pr-Eek! Why are your hands so cold?" She yelped loudly, jumping in his embrace and her hands slapping onto his shoulders. He smirked, pressing his cool palm flat against the skin of her back, his fingers starting to lightly swirl in various patterns. Despite her protest of the temperature of his hands, she relaxed again easily enough.

"Well, I need to warm them up somehow," He said innocently before leaning in and delivering a little peck to her lips. She let out a small, disgruntled noise at his too-quick kiss and pursued him back, pressing her lips more surely against his and pressing herself closer to his body. His hand ceased its little swirling patterns and instead focused on getting her to slide farther up on his leg, their chests pressing close together. "And you say I'm greedy? My, it would seem that you're becoming just as selfish as me." He teased lightly.

Her hands fisted in his jacket between his shoulder blades. "You're still in big trouble for this whole thing. And you're still going to have to go get that fish, like, right now," She grumbled in a bitter tone, but she was relenting. He grinned wider, leaning down and giving her another brief peck on the lips.

"A little more positive reinforcement before I leave would be nice, though," He hummed while batting his eyes at her. She gave an annoyed little snort, finding his antics a tad overdone, but did pull him back to her. Knowing he had her full attention, his fingers came back to life and began to form letters along her spine. She let out a small noise, catching on that he wasn't just drawing shapes and squiggles on her back.

"Soul, what are you-?" She mumbled, pulling back from the kiss with a small worried frown.

"I can't talk about it because hmm," He said in a low whisper, flinching when Blair started to release a series of loud, ear-splitting yowls as if she was distressed. He released Maka and poked his head over, watching her from the breakfast nook. Her eyes were narrowed, tail fluffed out and snarling. But, oh, how lovely; there was jealousy and disgust in her eyes.

Soul responded with his usual level of maturity; he tossed a nearby spatula at her.

"Soul!" Maka squawked, smacking him upside the back of the head. She picked up the plate of milk and walked over, settling Blair on the coffee table with the milk while she retrieved the spatula. Luckily enough, he didn't have Maka's aim and hadn't actually hit the indigo colored cat; he'd just hit the futon a few feet in front of her and startled her. "Can you please just go get the tuna? We can talk about what 'the cat is' when you get back." She said, wagging the spatula at him in annoyance. She then turned on her heels, heading toward the hallway. She leaned over to drop the spatula into the sink on her way. "Oh, and can you get some more dryer sheets, too? We're all out."

"Whatever," He grumbled, watching as she headed off to Timp's office to start gather up clothes for the wash. He waited until he heard the door shut with a small click before he moved. He walked over to his enemy, who was lapping the milk up without a care in the world, and glared down at her. "I'm only going to be gone five, ten minutes at most. If I come back and anything has happened to her – I don't care if it's a serious wound, her being taken away, or just a stubbed toe – I'll turn you into a decoration to be hung on the mantle. You got that?" He growled out, changing his fingers into blades and waggling them at her menacingly.

She responded by snorting and resuming lapping at her milk enthusiastically.

"That's what I thought," He grumbled, heading downstairs. Even still, he didn't trust his threats to really sway her into doing what he wanted her to, but he had a solution to that problem. "Hey, Liz, I want you to go upstairs until I come back." He said to the young secretary, whom had just hung up the phone from a call with Soul couldn't care less.

"Why? Does Maka need help with something? And where exactly are you going? Timp just called to deliver an important message about-!" She called while rising and pursuing him. He held up one hand while the other twisted the knob to the office front door, indicating she be silent.

"Look, you can give me a debriefing when I get back. Right now there's a much bigger threat relaxing upstairs and I need you to take care of it until I get back," He said quickly before heading out.

One well-manicured hand caught the edge of the door before he could shut it, Liz' other hand resting on the door frame, keeping herself in the doorway. "What does that even mean?" She asked as he mounted his bike, pulling the keys from the jacket pocket.

"I'll tell you when I get back! For now just get upstairs before anything happens!" He barked impatiently before speeding off.

Liz felt her eye twitch slightly, her nails elongating slightly and digging into the doorframe. "What is his problem? I haven't seen him get like this in a while," She ground out bitterly. Though, she had to admit, it was good to see that something had managed to light a fire under his usually lazy ass. "Still. If this is such a big thing why is he leaving Maka here? I mean, sure, I'm half-succubus, but that's not nearly enough blood or power to keep someone like Giriko at bay. And where is he even going?" Her questions left her feeling even more annoyed with her younger employer, her head slumping against the doorway. "I don't get paid enough to put up with his attitude! And how Maka handles it, I have no idea!"

"Excuse me, miss?" A charming, older male voice chimed, snapping the other from her little tirade. Her eyes widened and her heart leapt into her throat. "Terribly sorry to trouble you, but this is the business location of one Soul Eater, is it not? I don't have an appointment but I have some business with the man in question. Perhaps you can keep me company until he returns?"

She gulped and nodded quickly, stepping aside and indicating he come in. "Of course, sir," She said as politely as she could, though she was a shaking ball of nerves. She had heard a lot of things about this living legend, but never before had she met him before. Despite Kid being a Shinigami, they didn't really run in the same crowd as other elitists. And, as such, the closest she got to the high society of demonic individuals was getting to work with Timp.

Needless to say, despite being a gentleman in his own right, this man was a living legend of a different level.

"Thank you. My, it's hard to believe that such a polite young woman works for two men whom are revered as being rather crass down below," He said, looking around the office with a small smile. It was nice, simple; just the sort of thing he would expect of Soul Eater Evans and Timp. The two clashed like crazy so it only made sense that their work space had to be casual but tidy, in order to keep both sides happy.

"They aren't so bad, once you know how to handle them," She said casually, keeping her tone light so as to avoid any arguments. She was absolutely positive he was not here for any malicious reason but, rather, she wanted to make a good first impression. "Can I interest you in some tea? We can go upstairs, where it's much more comfortable, and discuss whatever it is that's brought you here."

"That sounds excellent," He said, flashing her a polite little grin.

She smiled lightly and turned toward the stairs, leading him up. "I must say, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you over the years, Mr. Evans," She confessed.

He laughed at that, the sound like a more refined version of his son's. "If you're lying, then you don't need to. I doubt that you've heard many good things from my son or that old withered crook he's been learning from," His tone was light but there was a small undertone of regret to it. Liz could feel her heart breaking a little for the poor man.

"I usually don't talk to them about it because I know there opinions are a bit… Biased, to say the least. Plus, Soul doesn't much like talking about his childhood so I ask Kid, my husband, about you," She said, opening the door at the top of the stairs and walking in. She then perked up when she saw a very familiar ball of purple fluff rummaging through one of the drawers in the kitchen. "Excuse me for a moment." She muttered before rushing over.

"Why don't they have anything that would be more useful nyah? Bu-Tan just needs some zip-ties to use to disable the girl's hands," The cat mumbled angrily. She then let out an alarmed yowl when she was seized up her tail and forced to face glowing cerulean spheres. "Oh! Hello, Lizzy-Kins~! It's been so long since we've talked nyah~! How are things between Little Stripes and you? Still good?" She asked excitedly, trying her best not to panic.

When the other dragged an extended nail along her throat, however, she started flailing around like a fish out of water. "Oh no you don't you little minx! What the Hell are you doing here?" She snapped, grabbing Blair around her stomach when she managed to squirm free briefly. She pulled the other closer, so they were nose to nose. "You better answer me, or I'll make your eyes pop like a stress toy."

"She's obviously up to no good," William chimed in suddenly, leaning against the back of the living room chair as he watched the two female's struggle with one another. He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "My, this is all getting more complicated than I foresaw all those years ago. I assumed some things and events would be changed, given my interventions, but I never expected this much. Interesting to see how Mosquito's plans have changed since I stepped into the game." He then closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, I guess we just need to get Miss Albarn herself out here and we can begin…"

His musings were cut off, however, as a book collided with his skull abruptly. He caught himself right before he hit the ground and could hear her growling above him. "I'm not going anywhere without a fight, you demonic dolt," She said warningly. He slowly started to pick himself back up, finding her defensive stance and weapon of choice to be charming.

He couldn't help but laugh, rubbing his head where the girl had delivered the blow to his cranium. "My, you certainly are an interesting one, aren't you?" He laughed lightly. Despite his friendly tone and easy stance, it was clear this girl was not having any of it; he was still a demon in her eyes, after all. "I didn't mean to frighten you, dear. Please, take a seat and put the book down and we can talk. How does that sound?"

The other blinked, jade orbs widening slightly as she got a good look at him. "Wait, you're the man Soul was talking to at the cemetery," She stated, slowly lowering her book.

"Maka, this is William Evans," Liz chimed in, walking over with a small smile. There were a few scratch marks along her arms, but she had won the war. Tucked under one arm was Blair, her paws zip-tied together, who was squirming and growling at her. "He's come by to offer us a special kind of assistance that we couldn't get on our own."

"What do you think you're doing to the cat?" She blurted, looking between the disgruntled fluffy beast and the young secretary.

"This cat is nothing but bad news, so just pretend you don't see her. Anyway, Will here is also Soul's father, so if you want to learn any dirty secrets he can probably offer a few. I'm going to go put kitten here in a safe place to be dealt with later," She said before heading back down the stairs.

Maka carefully tossed her book on to the coffee table and extended her hand toward William. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. And, uh, sorry about the chop," She said lightly, though she didn't really seem too sheepish about the whole thing. Will took her hand and shook it, his smile still in place.

"I can't blame you for being on the defensive, though; after all, I must have seemed somewhat suspicious. But you certainly do pack a wallop," He commented with a small chuckle, his other hand rubbing at his head. It still throbbed a bit but it wasn't too hard to ignore. "I've only been in a few fights but I must say you surely place in the top three for hardest hit."

She blushed a bit at the compliment (or perhaps out of embarrassment, he wasn't sure) before taking her hand back and indicating the futon. "Go ahead and get comfortable. Can I get you something to drink?" She offered while turning toward the kitchen.

"Some coffee would be nice, if it's not too much trouble," He said while settling into the lounge chair. He wondered how Soul would react to seeing him sitting in his living room, imagining the look of pure outrage that the other would surely be adorned with, and chuckled into his hand.

At least he'd be getting a show in exchange for his being here.

…

Liz smirked to herself as she dropped Blair in an empty drawer on her filing cabinet and slammed it shut. "I think that you'll be less of a nuisance if you just stay in there until Soul gets home. Then he can decide what to do with you," The blonde said, pulling a small key from the pocket on her suit jacket and locking the drawer. The cabinet nor zip-ties were anything special, but at the same time, Blair was in her cat form. As long as she couldn't transform back into her regular form, her magic was of much smaller caliber.

And somehow she doubted that the other would be particularly interested in changing while stuck in that cramped space. Dusting off her hands, she proudly marched back up the stairs, ready to get back to business.

The fluffy cat, however, smirked to herself as she leaned back against the cool steel of the drawer, ears twitching at the sound of the receding footsteps. It was hard, but she could just barely make out the sounds of the other individuals up above. "Sorry about that, but the threat had to be handled," Liz said happily.

"Yeah, care to explain that? Every time Soul tried to he didn't seem able to think of the proper words," Maka chimed in, a soft clinking noise being heard. Most likely cups for drinks or snacks.

'_Silly little Halfling; did you really think that Bu-Tan came here to do anything herself?'_ She thought smugly, tail flickering from side to side. She closed her eyes and forced herself to relax some, hoping it would ease the strain on her aching paws; the zip-ties had not been pulled to a particularly comfortable point, after all. _'My magic is great but I could never defeat Soul in a fair fight. Giriko, on the other hand, could give him a fight long enough to give Justin enough time to take the girl and run. From there, Lord Mosquito can handle the rest, and then I can swoop in and win your heart back. You're a real demon, Soul Eater, and a human girl would never be a good fit for you. Once she's taken out of the equation, I'm sure you'll see that Bu-Tan is right.'_

Keeping the idea close to her heart, she continued to listen in, learning what she could so that she'd have a complete report to offer Mosquito later on.

…

It was all quiet in the office when Soul rushed back in, but he wasn't too surprised by that. Given he'd been gone for half an hour already, thanks to some jackass with too many coupons to use, he feared that if Blair had taken Maka he'd be far too late to stop her. Then again, Liz wasn't at her desk so maybe she had listened to his instructions to stay with Maka.

That was then followed by the realization that Blair could have easily killed Liz to take Maka, and that filled him with even more panic. He rushed up the stairs, dreading the idea of having to be the one to tell Death the Kid his wife had been torn to ribbons by a purple Hell cat. And Satan help him if Blair didn't make sure that she'd left the blonde in a symmetrical mess.

He threw open the door, one arm already transformed, to be greeted with the two blonde's giggling at a picture Maka was holding. Sitting there like a sir was his father, a coffee cup in one hand and his lips quirked up in a grin. He looked up, his own working blue eyes sparkling with amusement. "Why, hello Soul! I was just sharing an old memory with the girls here about you!" He beamed.

"He-I- Oh my God! He looks so stupid!" Liz howled, flinging herself back against the futon. With the shift in her body, Soul was able to see the picture and let out a very uncool shriek at the sight. He rushed over, swiping the picture out of Maka's hands, and glaring at Liz.

"Stop laughing, damnit! I was, like, three!" He barked out, cheeks flaming to life.

Maka giggled lightly, covering her mouth with one hand. "If it makes you feel any better, I think you make for an adorable carrot," She offered up, meeting his angry gaze without the slightest bit of fear. Seeing her smiling face, hearing her voice, helped Soul relax a bit as he took the situation in completely.

Maka was safe. Liz wasn't bleeding out on the floor. Blair was nowhere to be found. His father was here, uninvited, humiliating the living Hell out of him. The big factor, however, was that **Maka was safe**. Letting the relief wash through him, he turned his arm back to normal and handed the photo to his father (despite the urge to rip the stupid thing to pieces, to erase the evidence). "So, what's with the family reunion out of the blue?" He asked, walking back and flopping beside Maka on the futon. He draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her toward him, still feeling protective since Blair was nowhere in sight.

"It was actually Timp that called upon me. With Medusa playing go-between, of course," He explained, elaborating further at the startled expression his son flashed him. He then took a sip of his drink before placing the cup on a coaster on the table. "It would seem that there's more going on at Chupa Cabra's than we thought; things that require the involvement of the Big Boss down below."

"What does that have to do with you being here?"

"Well, as a Reader, I have the ability to get in to see Lord Satan whenever it is necessary. Timp asked me to get an appointment with him so that your little situation at present will be easier to handle," He said, lacing his fingers together and letting them settle in his lap. Soul blinked, tilting his head and quirking an eyebrow. "It appears that Mosquito has been using a less-than-permitted substance on the humans working for him. As such, this issue must be handled before it gets leaked to the human press. If humans find out that such a thing has been used to turn young women into sex slaves they'll cry outrage and it'll set back all the work toward putting humans and demons on level ground that we've been working for over the years. There's already going to be dozens of innocent ladies severally damaged by this – not to mention that some of them may not survive being taken off the drug – so it's best if we settle the humans down by lynching the aggressor. Mosquito should have known his days were numbered the minute that he ruffled Timp's feathers the way he has."

Soul snorted. "Not like you to go complimenting the old geezer like that,"

"Yes, well, I like to give credit where credit is due," Will said with a casual shrug.

"So did you already get the appointment or not?"

"Yes, I did. The soonest I could manage was in a week, but that gives us more time to get a plan worked out. As well as get some other things handled, too," The older demon said. He then snapped his fingers, as if just remembering something. "By the way, Soul, I want to spend the next week until the meeting teaching you the ways of a Reader."

A low growl came from the shark-toothed male. "Oh, Hell no. No, I ain't learning how to do that bullshit; and I'm especially not going to learn it from **you** of all people," He snarled out lowly.

"Soul, you shouldn't talk to your father like that!" Maka chided seriously, giving him a stern look.

"Oh, please, you say the same kind of shit to your old man… You just use less swear words and more words that make you sound diplomatic," He scoffed blandly, rolling his eyes. The feisty young woman responded by slapping him in the stomach. "Oof! What the Hell was that for?"

"You should at least hear him out! Your father has been very nice and polite since he walked in, and he's going to help you guys do something you couldn't without him! At least hear what he was to say about it," She hissed out in clear annoyance.

Soul glared at her for a moment, not wanting to step down, but she just matched his dirty look. "Fine!" He growled after a pregnant pause, throwing his head back against the futon. The shit this woman made him do for her! He looked back at his father, not even bothering to hide his irritation. "Okay, let's hear it. Why do you think I need to learn to do all that Reader bullshit."

"The powers of a Reader will be a valuable asset to you, given what you need to accomplish. With the powers of a Reader you'll be able to see into the future, Soul; admittedly, it won't be too far into the future for now since you're still young and you've never used these powers. However, I only need a week to teach you what you need to know in order to handle everything in case it goes bad," William said calmly. He then waved one hand in the air, as if trying to drag up something that could help coax his son into agreeing. "I mean, you'd be able to see all the moves Mosquito's goons were going to take before they made them, and therefore be able to avoid them more easily."

"Why can't you just do it for me? If you're gonna be hanging around to help then why can't you just see the future for me?"

"I'm still blind in the left eye, Soul; I cannot see into your future any longer,"

"Then look into Maka's! That's what you Reader's do; you read the futures of humans and inform Lord Satan and God when something happens to alter their set course without a reason!" He snapped back, bristling like an angry dog.

"I cannot do that either because she has become too involved in you, Soul. The only option is that you learn how to use the power that lays dormant in you,"

"Fine! I'll learn how to use those damn powers!" He huffed, sinking further against the futon. He was silent for a moment before he decided to clarify. "But I'm only doing it for Maka! And I'm not going to enjoy it at all!"

William smirked as he rose, dipping his head at him. "It's good to see that you inherited your Mother's tsun-tsun-dere-dere ability. I'm sure it'll come in quite handy with everything we need to handle in the near future," He said while heading to the door. Soul let out a wordless, annoyed grunt while Maka snickered. "We'll start your training tomorrow morning. Do you have anywhere you need to be?"

"Maka has work and I'm not leaving her unprotected,"

"Certainly there's a park or something close by that we could go to? As long as you're in the block you'll be available if she needs you," He pointed out.

The younger was about to open his mouth to respond when Maka chimed in, deciding that observing wasn't really doing much. "There's a park just around the corner from the daycare that we sometimes take the kids to so they can feed the ducks and pigeons that like to hang out around there. You could always go there. As long as Soul has his cell phone on him then I can call him if I need him," She suggested.

"Sounds like that'll work perfectly. I'll get the address for the daycare from Timp in the morning and meet you there at around noon. That should give us a few hours to get started," He said before heading to the door. His hand then paused on the knob, as if seeming to remember something. "If it's not too much trouble, would you mind showing me out, Elizabeth?"

The young woman in question perked up before rising and following him. "Of course, sir," She said politely. They headed down the stairs in silence, vaguely hearing the sounds of Soul and Maka bickering lazily above them. "Did you need something in specific, sir?"

"Yes, actually," He said, turning to face her, "I was hoping I could take the nosy little cat with me? I'm certain that you don't have the time to keep an eye on her and I'd love to have the chance to get to know her. I mean, I'm interested in seeing what kind of woman it was that caused the feud that killed Masumi and Wesley."

"You're not going to hurt her," It was a statement, a simple fact. Readers were known for being noble and righteous (pretentious and spineless, as most other demons saw it) and didn't go fighting unless it was absolutely necessary. Seeking revenge, even for a crime like that of Blair's? No, that was not something a Reader as highly regarded as William Evans would do. "What are you planning, then?"

"As I said before, I simply want to keep an eye on her and get to know her," His smile was still in place but Liz knew that he wouldn't leave without the cat. Well, at least this would get her out of their hair, right? They wouldn't have to worry about her going after Maka this way.

She pulled the key from her pocket, shaking her head. "I have no idea why you'd want to take her. She's nothing but a nuisance," She said, pulling open the drawer and glaring at the snoozing animal inside. Really? She's locked in a drawer and she feels like that's the appropriate time to go ahead and take a quick nap. With an annoyed huff, she snatched the demonic feline up by the scruff of her neck and handed her to the waiting man. "Have fun dealing with her."

He chuckled, carefully taking the cat in his arms, and nodded. "I'm sure that I will. Oh, and tell Timp that I was able to get the meeting with Satan, will you? I don't want him bothering Medusa; she's already got enough on her plate without playing go-between for us," And with that, he was off without any sign he'd been there.

Well, other than a missing cat and a sulky Soul Eater.

End

(1) The potion used on Soul – I didn't explain so let me remedy that; the potion Blair gave him, is actually sort of like the curse placed on the main character from Howl's Moving Castle. He can't discuss who Blair is, what her connection is to him, or why he can't explain any of that, but he can take other means to do it (if he isn't interrupted). Since it wasn't actually too clear in the previous chapter, I figured I'd elaborate for you all.

Notes:

Gonna admit; I've been in a pretty bad place since the start of January. However, in the last three weeks I've started to feel a lot better about myself and what I am doing. I also went back and re-read a whole bunch of stories I wrote in high school, and realized that I missed the kick I used to have to my comedic dialogue. So there will be a little bit of a shift in my writing style, because I want to try and get back that same flame I've been missing. I feel like getting back in touch with it might help me feel more motivated to write. So, I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry if the change seems drastic or you find it irritating that I'd switch it up like that. And I'm really sorry if this chapter seemed unbalanced or that everything was rushed; it'll be slowing down a little more starting next chapter, if you can believe that. I'm also really, really sorry that my schedule has been out of whack lately.

**But, more importantly, I'd just like to say thank you for all of your kind words and your patience; and I mean that sincerely to every single one of you who reviews or reads. I appreciate it a lot more than you know. 3**

Next Chapter:

The air left his lungs in a painful rush and he crumpled to the ground, his body shaking with the pain. He glared up, red eyes glowing, and William met his look. Soul then came to the realization at that moment that his father was the one whom he'd inherited the scary look from, as opposed to his mother like he always figured. "It's time for you to get over yourself, Soul. I'm here, offering you my help, so that you can protect this girl. And, quite frankly, I couldn't care less if you have no interest in learning the powers of a Reader; you're going to need those powers to succeed at this. Now I suggest you man the Hell up and listen to me for once in your life!" William snapped, sounding more like a drill sergeant than the typically well-mannered gentleman he usually was.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I do own the plot.

Chapter Thirteen

Soul leaned back against the wall by the front door of the daycare, watching Maka help a few children use some glue for their macaroni art. After his father left the night before, he had spent a lot of time thinking about what he said, and he still wasn't too sure where he stood on the subject. _'How are the powers of a Reader going to help me? I mean, sure, being able to see into the future would have its perks, but it would have been nice if he'd come knocking with this offer a few years back. Maybe then I could have saved Mother and Wes,'_ He thought, closing his eyes to ward of the horrific memories. He resumed thinking about his father instead. _'Hell, maybe he's lying just so that I'll listen to his dumb ass. I mean, sure, he lost sight in his left eye nine years ago but that doesn't mean-!'_ Soul's mind came to a screeching halt and his eyes snapped open at a sudden realization.

There was a Lego being shoved up his nose.

There was a small, two-dot Lego current lodged into the albino demon's left nostril and he was pretty sure who the culprit was. His eyes locked on the child standing before him, grinning like the little Hellion that he was. He remembered seeing him a few times before causing trouble; shoving kids into the dirt, pulling one girl's ponytail. If he remembered correctly, Maka had mentioned that the little brat's name was Stanley and he was the daycare bully that not even Black*Star could control. Rounding up all the patience he had within him, he plucked the plastic rectangle from his nose (making sure not to wince at how the pointed corners irritated his nose) and met the kid's amused gaze. "Mind if I ask what this is?"

"'S a Lego. What are you, retarded or something?" The kid snickered back, rubbing under his nose with one finger. Oh, so the little shit wanted to play that game, huh? Well, Soul could beat him at that no problem.

"That's right, it is a Lego. Now, tell me, why would you stuff it in my nose?" Soul asked blandly, wagging the toy in the air a little bit. He then indicated his mouth with his free hand. "And let me just warn you that if you don't drop the attitude, I've got these puppies right here. I'm a demon, and I have a sore spot for eating the souls of little snots like you." It took all his self-control not to roll around in laughter at the look on the other's face at this. Sheet white, wide-eyed and on the verge of pissing himself; just as Soul had been hoping he would be!

"I-I-I don't know!" He stammered out frantically.

"No, I think you do. Now answer the question,"

"I already did! I said I don't know!"

"And I know that's a bunch of crap! Now tell me why you would do this, Stanley!"

"My name's not Stanley, it's Sampson!" The young boy squeaked, stepping back a bit in hopes of fleeing. Maka noticed the little exchanged, waved Black*Star over, and had him take over helping the crafters while she dealt with whatever was happening between Sampson and Soul.

She made sure to take a book with her just in case.

"Seriously?" Soul asked dubiously, momentarily forgetting about the Lego issue.

"What's going on over here?" Maka asked, one hand on her hip and one brow quirked. The small child rushed to her, all too-innocent eyes and sniffles.

"He threatened to eat my soul!"

"What? Soul, why would you threaten him like that? He's only, like, six!"

"Can I ask a much more pressing question? Because, honestly, who names their kid Sampson nowadays?"

"Soul, that has nothing to do with any of this!" She snapped back, her grip on her book tightening as pre-flight preparations. She gently nudged the child behind her and stepped forward. "Now answer the question."

Soul decided now would be a good time to focus, because that was Maka's "serious business" tone; deceptively calm but skirting along the edge of anger. "Well, this little child decided to shove a Lego up my nose while I was thinking. And when I tried to explain to him why it was wrong, he gave me attitude. So I thought that I should give him some gentle persuasion to listen to me," He explained calmly, glancing at the tiny block still resting in his palm and offering it to her. She made a face then looked down at the young boy in question.

"Sampson, I want you to apologize to Soul for shoving a Lego up his nose, and then Soul will apologize for making a silly, mean remark like that. Does that sound okay?" She suggested while letting her book-wielding hand drop to her side. The two glared at one another, muttering small apologizes before glaring off to the side again. She sighed lightly, leaning down and ruffling Sampson's hair. "Okay, go play with the others. I want to talk to this guy for just a second."

"Okay, Miss Maka," He grumbled in a sulky tone of voice. Clearly the little bastard was not used to an adult ratting him out to an authority figure. She watched him go before turning her attention to her shark-toothed body guard.

"It's a quarter to twelve. How are you feeling about going off with your father for a few hours?" She asked calmly, shifting until she was kneeling in front of him.

He shrugged, still looking away from her. "I guess it's okay. I mean, maybe I can get some answers from him," He explained calmly. She sighed and reached over, tilting his chin so that he was facing her. She was wearing a soft, concerned frown and her eyes practically pleaded with him to open up to her. He released a begrudging sigh and nodded a bit. "Okay, so maybe I'm a little less cool with this whole thing than I'd like to admit."

"And why's that?"

"Until the day he left, he was a really great dad," Soul said gently, "but he was always a piss-poor demon and a pretty wimpy man as a whole. I mean, Mother… Mother was one of the greatest demoness' that has ever or will ever exist. She knew how to pull out all the stops to get even the most virtuous of humans to dirty their hands in whatever sin she was feeling keen to. My Father is what's known as a Reader; a demon that helps assure that demon and human alike fall into line with what the Fates decide for them. Because of this, they've become known as killjoys and human-shielders. They're looked down on because of their nature to instigate themselves into situations where demons are messing with humans and ruin the fun. I mean, do you know how many times I watched my Mother beat the living tar out of him? And he never stood up for himself! He never yelled back at her, or threw a punch! And then, one day, out of the blue, he decides to just up and leave."

Maka was silent for a moment, choosing her words carefully, before she shifted until she was sitting next to him. "Maybe he didn't hit her back because he didn't want to give you a bad example of how to treat a woman," She suggested calmly.

"Hmm. I guess that's a possibility," He shrugged, tilting his head so that it rested on her shoulder. Dealing with William was more draining on him then he wanted to admit, really. Ever since finding out Giriko was working with Mosquito, Soul's nerves had been on edge. His mind had been constantly streaming his memories of that fateful day whenever he was alone. Add in Blair's return, and suddenly their entire relationship and the moment he caught her with Wes was tossed into the mix, adding a morbid sort of variety to the whole show. "I'm only dealing with him for you, though, so you better appreciate it."

"My hero," She laughed in a teasing tone, letting her head lightly flop against his. He smiled at her response and closed his eyes, letting his mind remain in a sort of limbo briefly.

The rest only lasted a few brief moment; there was a loud crashing noise followed by the startled squeals of the children. Soul cracked one eyes to see that Stanley – no, wait, the little punk's name was Sampson – had knocked over a huge building some other children had made using Lego's. So that was where he'd gotten the first one from! He felt Maka shift slightly against him. "Shh, Maka, let's just observe. Just stay here and let's watch the vicious little monsters in their natural habitat," He muttered softly. She rolled the shoulder he was leaning against, forcing him to lift his head, and flashed him an amused but skeptical look. "It's not like they'll eat each other or anything. These kids are too little to know about concepts like cannibalism or religious sacrifice."

"You are the weirdest guy I've ever met. I sometimes sincerely wonder what kind of a parent you would be," She said, rising up from her position and dusting off her jeans lightly.

"Are you saying you've wondered about having kids with me? Maka Albarn, you naughty little dreamer!" He sing-songed merrily, taking delight in the rush of pink that came to her face as she turned to gawk at him. And were his eyes deceiving him, or had her ears gained a light flush as well? "Well, if you're Mommy, then those kids will already be geniuses. Therefore, I won't need to discipline them, so then I'll be the greatest Daddy that was ever a Daddy."

She tensed up and looked at him with wide jade orbs, cheeks turning a deeper pink color. "I-You-That's!"

"Are you actually blushing? That's so cute," He laughed. He was answered with a small huff before she stomped off to go corral the children. He glanced at the clock and then sighed heavily, noticing that he had five minutes until William was supposed to meet with him. He pushed himself up and whistled lightly. "I'll be back at closing, okay? Don't leave the building until I get here, okay, Maka?" He called over to her.

"Okay. Have fun," She barked back, tugging Sampson away from the other children by looping her arms under his. Apparently he and one of the other boys had decided that a Lego skyscraper was deserving of throwing punches. Crimson orbs rolled at the sight but he marched outside to face whatever it was his father had in mind for him.

He waited outside for a short amount of time, watching cars pass, before his father walked up the street. The other was dressed nicely, as per his norm; black slacks, a dark blue dress shirt and his hair slicked back from his face. "Hello, Soul. How are you?" He asked politely, holding out his hand as he reached the other.

Soul briefly glanced at the older demon's hand before turning and starting to walk toward the park. "Come on, we've gotta get started. I don't want Maka to have to wait for me later because you felt like exchanging pleasantries," He said gruffly.

Will glanced at his hand briefly, a rueful smile twisting up on his lips. "I guess you get that from your mother," He said softly. Soul said nothing so he assumed that he either didn't care or hadn't heard him. He jogged to catch up to the other. "So, are there any questions about the powers of a Reader that you have now, before I explain anything? I know you have little to no information but I want to know what you need clarified now, before we jump right into the training."

"Will my eyes work the same as yours? Where the left is the eye that is dedicated to family and the right is for the rest of the world?"

"It'll probably be that way, since you are my child, but there is a chance that it'll be reversed. We'll have to test that with a sparring match, actually," William mused thoughtfully.

Soul started howling with laughter at this. "What? Me, against you? Oh, this is gonna be great! You're gonna get your ass kicked! And I've got your permission to do it, too!"

"We'll see about that," William remarked calmly.

"Oh, we **will** see about that," Soul snickered as they turned into the park. He looked around, relieved that there weren't that many people milling about. Then again, it was a weekday after noon; most people were busy with other things. He headed toward a small clearing between a small copse of trees and the large lake the ducks loved to relax in. Soul stretched his muscles lightly, rolling and massaging one of his shoulders. "So do I just close my eyes and try to see with my heart or some bullshit?" He asked with a small snort.

"You're going to need some instructions first, but I'll try to keep it brief and basic so that we can get down to the primary training. Well, you are going to have to try to put further a little effort, put in the desire to see the future. You need to try and sense my presence, my soul in all honesty, to start with. You need to find your center, take deep breathes, and focus on only sensing," William explained calmly.

Soul made a face at his father's words but shifted slightly in understanding, making sure his feet were grounded. He closed his eyes tight and tried to force himself to be aware of what was going on around him. He could feel little sparks, see flickering white dots behind his eyes, recognizing that it was the souls of the other people in the park (and, of course, the ducks in the pond). Most of them were farther away, so he tried to block them out. He needed to get all his attention focused on the closest little spark.

Just as soon as he'd gotten it together, however, it was gone and he couldn't sense anything but himself. He opened his eyes and looked at William, whom wore an expression of innocent interest. "Well? Were you able to sense?"

"Yeah, but it didn't last long," Soul commented, reaching over and pressing the heel of his hand to his forehead. He then glanced over at the pond, watching as a mother duck led her little ducklings into the pond. "Is it supposed to be this hard?"

"Yes. The powers of a Reader are very fickle, and as such are very challenging to master," William agreed, following Soul's gaze. He let out a small sigh at the sight. "It normally takes at least fifteen years of training to master the powers of a Reader completely. In your case, however, we only have a small amount of time. Seven days isn't nearly enough time to get you as good as you'll need to be, and I can't think of any way to speed up the training."

He was startled when he was greeted by Soul's fist colliding with the side of his face. He stumbled but remained upright, noting dully that his son his harder than he expected. "You know it's useless in yet you're still going to force me to sit through it?" He erupted, fists shaking at his sides. He'd only agreed because he thought this might actually work! If he'd known it was doomed from the start, that it was only a waste of time… "Fuck this!" He threw his hands up and turned to storm off.

"Soul, wait and hear me out!" William called, jogging after him.

"No! This is a fucking waste of my time; time I should be spending building my strength up!" He snapped, wheeling around to glare at his father. There was no anger over the red splotch on his cheek, like he'd been hoping. No, there was only understanding and that constant soothing look to his face. As a child it had been a comfort for Soul; to know that no matter how volatile his actions were, his father would always been so very calm and careful with him. It had been good to know that his father would not raise his voice with him, or lash out with hard actions, like his mother tended to. Gentle instructions and patient gestures had always been William Evans' tactic in teaching his sons' right from wrong, and Soul had always appreciated it back then.

Now it only added more fuel to his fire.

"You've always been such a fucking pushover! You always preach about how aggression will get you nowhere, how problems can always be talked out! But it's just a crock of shit! It's a crock of shit and you know it, don't you?"

William was quiet, but his expression darkened ever so slightly at the accusation. Soul smirked slightly, seeing the weakness and going in for the kill.

"Or maybe it's just placing your aggression into perspective, right? I mean, you've got the power to see the future. You must have seen what was going to happen to Mother and Wesley years before it happened, even before you lost your sight. You did, didn't you?"

William sucked in a harsh breath, eyes widening in hurt, before they narrowed. "Soul, do not say another word about it," He ground out tensely.

"You really did! Well, where's all your good will now? You knew and you didn't do a damn thing to stop it! Did you just want to watch us all dangle on a string and suffer? Did it make you feel better about everything that happened with Mother and us? It was your ultimate revenge; watch two of us die and know the other would suffer as the survivor! What, did the guilt finally get to you?" Soul was laughing mirthlessly now, a sick sense of delight settling in his stomach at the pure horror on his father's face. He had never seen such anguish on his face. "Was that it? Your weak little human-loving conscience kicked in and you decided to try and make it up to me?"

And with that, something deep inside the older Evans male snapped. In a flash of movement that was faster than expected, he rushed at his son and dug his knee as roughly into his stomach as he could, shoving him away right after he was sure the blow landed with a good amount of force.

The air left his lungs in a painful rush and he crumpled to the ground, his body shaking with the pain. He glared up, red eyes glowing, and William met his look. Soul then came to the realization at that moment that his father was the one whom he'd inherited the scary look from, as opposed to his mother like he always figured. "It's time for you to get over yourself, Soul. I'm here, offering you my help, so that you can protect this girl. And, quite frankly, I couldn't care less if you have no interest in learning the powers of a Reader; you're going to need those powers to succeed at this. Now I suggest you man the Hell up and listen to me for once in your life!" William snapped, sounding more like a drill sergeant than the typically well-mannered gentleman he usually was.

It was very strange to see this sort of calm fury from William and it left Soul grasping for a response. He couldn't think of anything witty to bark out, or any insults to sling. "Then… Start talking. I don't have all day," He wheezed out, pushing himself so that he was sitting with his elbows keeping him propped up.

William shifted downward, relaxing into an Indian-style sitting position. He set his hands palm down on his knees and met his son's gaze. "Sit with your back straight and focus. I know it's difficult for you to remain engaged for more than three minutes but you'll need to leash your attention. We're going to stay here and work at your sensing ability until you can do it at the drop of a hat, and no sooner, you hear?" His tone was still strict but there was a small undercurrent of warmth underneath.

Soul imitated his father pose and closed his eyes again, fingers drumming lightly on his knees. "That really fucking hurt, by the way," He grumbled.

"It was supposed to," The other scoffed, a hint of sarcasm creeping into his voice. He then snapped his fingers, reaching over and swatting Soul's fingers into motionlessness. "Stop that; you'll distract yourself like that."

"You're acting like a real jackass right now," Soul growled lowly.

"And you're acting like a little bitch, so get over it," Crimson orbs snapped wide at that, gawking at the other. William had shifted, his chin in his hand and head tilted toward the pond again. He was watching the mother duck fret over a duckling that was refusing to leave the shore, too afraid to learn to swim. "I don't hear you focusing, Soul. Close your eyes and get back to work."

"You aren't even looking at me! How do you know my eyes are open or that I'm not focusing?" He rebuked while snapping his eyes shut again.

"When you're really focusing you breath slightly louder out of your nose and it makes a small whistling noise; I don't hear it so I know you're not trying hard enough,"

"And now you're a lying jackass," Even though he said it, Soul was curious how long he'd had such a habit. Had he had it since childhood, since that was the last that William had really interacted with him for long? And why did William still remember something so trivial and small?

It seemed a lot of things he'd thought about his father were skewed from his childhood.

…

The sun was dipping behind the clouds when William finally deemed Soul's training far enough along to let him make a retreat to the daycare to pick up Maka. He followed along but didn't try to start a conversation, deciding that the somewhat tense silence was better than trying to force uninteresting conversations. When they reached the front, Maka was just locking up with Black*Star standing a few feet behind her. He glanced over at Soul and smirked slightly, enjoying the sight of how disheveled the other appeared.

The training had been more draining on him physically than he would have thought, though Soul was loathe to admit it. "I thought I told you not to leave the building until I got here?" He asked gruffly.

Maka rolled her eyes, shoving the key into her pocket and turned to face him. She looked like she was ready to make some witty retort but instead clamped her mouth shut at the sight of him. "You look like Hell," She said simply.

"That is not a feasible answer to my question, Maka," His tone was blunt with just the slightest undercurrent of annoyance.

"What kind of training were you doing, exactly?" She asked, stealing a glance around Soul at his father.

"The kind that involves a lot of brain power," William shrugged.

"Ah, that would explain it,"

"Can we please get back on track here, Maka? Like, you answering my very important question? Why are you out here with The Blue Meanie instead of waiting inside like I said?" Soul gritted out, too tired to yell but still bearing enough energy to make his anger evident.

"What the fuck did you just say about my Godliness, demon scum?" The previously snickering male growled lowly.

Maka pinned him with a look. "Star, let it go. You already know he doesn't like you, and you obviously don't like him," She said before turning back to Soul. All joking aside, he looked far more tired than she would expect him to be. After all, if it was only mental conditioning, it shouldn't have left this great an impact on him, right? "I was going to stay inside but he saw you heading up the street. I figured it would only take you like two minutes to get over here, and I doubt I could really be kidnapped in two minutes." She explained smoothly, walking over to him. She flashed a small smile. "But I'm glad you were worried."

"Yeah, whatever," Soul grumbled, glaring off to the side.

"So, shall we do more of the same tomorrow?" William asked, stealing a glance at his watch, and then looking back at his son.

"Yeah, that sounds fine. She has work again then," He agreed, tossing an arm over Maka's shoulders and leading her toward his nearby bike. "We'll see you then!" He called, waving a hand dismissively at him.

The other stole one glance before leaving in the opposite direction. He made a mental note to get some medical salve to help Soul's muscles from Medusa before he came to met him next.

"So are you heading home or are you heading to Tsubaki's?" Maka asked Black*Star while Soul fished his keys from his pocket.

"Tsubaki's. But I figured I'd warn you your old man is getting a little stir-crazy and hard to watch. Apparently the little red guy said something to him the other day that he did not feel comfortable with and now he's all up in arms about it," He said, shrugging when she groaned lowly.

"Great. He's going to have an emotional breakdown and make everything worse somehow, I just know it," She whined lowly. Soul made a grumbling noise of agreement as he mounted his bike and started it up. "Well, thanks for the heads up, Black*Star. I'll see you tomorrow."

"It's the least I can do. See you then, Maka," He said, but his tone implied he wanted to say something else. He looked at her, then down, and then shook his head. He would just have to talk to her about his concerns later, when they were in the proper company.

She watched him go for a moment before turning back to Soul. "Are you sure you don't want me to drive? You look like you're about to die," She remarked calmly, shifting so that she was standing beside the bike but not getting on.

"I'll be fine to drive. I just… Things with him were really different then I expected, is all," He said in a dismissive tone. Clearly, he didn't really want to get into it too much farther, but Maka's severe curiosity had always been a flaw of hers.

"Did you get any answers to the questions you wanted to ask him?"

"No, I didn't even have time to ask. He's made it pretty clear that our time together is supposed to be for strictly training, and conversations were slim to none," His tone didn't change from before, meaning that he was not going to humor any further pokes and prods from her. She resigned herself to being left in the dark on the matter but did want to make him feel a little better. After all, she had a growing hunch that it wasn't just the training that had him looking more sloth-like than usual.

She slipped on behind him, carefully weaving her arms around his waist. "When we get home I'll get a warm bath ready for you and order some Chinese take-out. How does that sound?" She asked, her tone lightening and sounding more warm, as if trying to instill some of that energy into him.

He laughed, appreciating the effort more than he showed. "Here's the really question; will you be **joining** me for said bath?"

She retaliated with a few little sputters and smacking his stomach. It stung worse because of the bruise he knew his father's punch would leave but he laughed the pain off. He figured he deserved it a little from being a smartass in the face of her generosity.

End

Notes:

Hey, look, it didn't take forever this time! Hooray!

Next Chapter:

She sighed and tossed a small stuffed elephant into the toy chest. "I'm not going to do that, and you know it. I'm no coward," She said patiently, looking around the room quickly. Well, it seemed that was all the toys the children had left on the floor before they'd gone outside. Now she should start cutting the apples and preparing the dishes of peanut butter for their snacks. "On top of that, I have Soul. He's a better man than he comes off as, and he's certainly better than any examples I had as a little girl. I have faith in Soul, and I know he'll keep me safe from the things that go bump in the night."


End file.
